The Scoop: Bertie Bites the Bullet and Swallows Nine Balls, Too

August 3, 2009

Well, balls are up there on the list of naughty things pups try to eat, but nine of them?! When Bertie's owners spotted his ill-advised snack, they rushed him to a vet where X-rays showed he had nine balls (and a shotgun bullet!) lodged in his tummy.

His stomach could have easily ruptured from the pressure but all's well that ends well as, after two hours of delicate surgery at Clarendon House Veterinary Centre in Maldon, Essex, he's healing up just fine. I'm betting everyone will keep a closer eye on this Pointer pooch, next time they stroll near any golf course! Check out the X-ray, the loot, and his happy family at the vet in the gallery below.

View 4 Photos ›

Source: WENN.com

8 Comments

Sarahrob 3 years

I had a cocker spaniel-RIP Lacy-and she LOVED golf balls, and she ended up with 6 in her stomach once, but she had eaten the plastic covering off of them. The other problem was that that at that time, the inside of golf balls were wound up rubber bands, so they were exploding in her stomach! So not only did she have a small stomach with 6 golf balls in it, but they were rapidly unraveling! that was probably the tamest thing she ate though. She ate everything but the kitchen sink!

Pampire 3 years

I'm surprised that none of the balls got lodged in his throat! The owners are very lucky that their pooch is still alive! Wow 9 balls that's crazy! Hopefully they will watch their dog more carefully now!

kiwitwist 3 years

Yoga - OMG that is horrible. I am glad your pooch is okay, scary!!! My Aussie, when she was a pup, swallow a sharp, pointy rock. She was throwing up blood and projectile vomitting... same deal, xrays, surgery, and $1500 later.

kiwitwist 3 years

good grief, I am glad he is okay!!!!!

Yogaforlife 3 years

Somebody once gave my dog a corn cob that they just finished eating and as I yelled no and reached to grab it, my dog took one look at me and swallowed it whole! (He was on a vet prescribed diet to lose weight and was probably feeling very hungry. I immediately rushed him to the vet only to find out that his stomach was full of food and they couldn't see the corn cob in the x-ray. Lots of people felt sorry for him being on a diet and had been sneaking him food and I never give my dogs human food which really upset me. The vet sent us home and said to watch him closely over the next few days and if he started throwing up or didn't pass a bowel movement, to bring him in. The vet thought he was big enough to pass a corn cob easily and that I probably didn't need to worry. All was well until two weeks later he started throwing up black gunk one morning. We took him in and had I not insisted on a second x-ray, we never would have seen the corn-cob stuck exiting the stomach and entering the intestines. It had rotted in his stomach too, hence the black gunk he was throwing up. He showed no signs of pain or sickness, just vomited a few times one morning. After emergency surgery, a stay in an animal hospital and $2,000 later, I'm happy to say everybody has learned to obey our wishes and not feed our dogs table scraps or human food of any kind! I later learned that corn cobs are one of the top items to get lodged in a dog's digestive system and a top killer of dogs on farms.

alba 3 years

lucky pooch!

macaronsbedon 3 years

As a dog owner I know very well that you can't always control what your dog eats, but 9 golf balls and a bullet is quite serious. I think his owners should have been more careful! I know what it feels like to think that your dog might seriously be hurt. My little dachshund had a back hernia a few while back after falling in some stairs and once she ate a big piece of chocolate cake (Chocolate being deadly for dogs at least it was organic).

Susanna 3 years

What a sweet face. "But I didn't know if I swallowed the balls they would end up in my stomach, and I would need expensive surgery. Really, I didn't."

Link Love

8 Comments