Swindon vet issues warning after dog's lucky grass seed escape

Swindon vets are now urging dog owners to be aware of the dangers of grass seeds this spring after one-year-old Arlo needed extensive surgery when he became seriously ill. 

The hapless pup underwent operations to his chest and abdomen at Eastcott Veterinary Referrals to safely remove the plant matter and a large abscess it had caused.

Owner Tina Clark, from Chippenham, admitted she initially feared for her beloved pet’s life, however, the expertise of Eastcott small animal specialist Inês Gordo and fellow hospital team members has seen Arlo go on to make a full recovery from his ordeal.

Arlo's life was saved thanks to surgeons at Eastcott Vets who managed to remove the grass seed and repair the absess. (Image: Eastcott Vets)

Tina said: “When I first received the diagnosis I was devastated. I was heartbroken. Arlo was so young and I was worried I could lose him.

“Arlo’s great again now, full of life and ready to learn. He is a working dog and we’ve just started his formal gun dog training, so the future for Arlo is wonderful."

Surgeon Ines was delighted by the news but said it was an extremely challenging case which needed a real team effort.

She explained: “Our investigations confirmed Arlo had a large abscess in his caudal thorax, associated with one of the lung lobes, which extended into the abdomen along the muscles below the spine.

“When we performed a focal ultrasound of the area, we also found a foreign body (suspected to be a grass seed) at the very end of the abscess, close to the main vessels of the abdomen.

“As a result, Arlo required surgery to his abdomen and chest to treat the abscess and also remove the suspected foreign body.

“The foreign body was successfully extracted from the abdomen, and then the thoracic abscess was drained, and the affected lung lobe was removed with a stapling technique.

An ultrasound of cocker spaniel Arlo showed the damage that a grass seed had caused internally, making the beloved pet extremely unwell. (Image: Eastcott Vets)

“Arlo was hospitalised in our intensive care unit for close monitoring and made a good recovery which saw him allowed home after a few days.”

Ines added that grass seeds can pose a risk to dogs as the weather improves and owners enjoy walks through meadows and fields.

She said: “We would always urge dog owners to be mindful of the risks of grass seeds when walking their dogs.

“It can be common for dogs to inhale grass seeds but if a dog begins coughing shortly after running through fields and meadows, we would encourage owners to take them to their vets for a precautionary check.”

For more information about Eastcott Referrals visit www.eastcottreferrals.co.uk or search for Eastcott Veterinary Referrals on social media.