Most dogs love chasing a ball and Bracken the Labrador is no different - the only problem is that he loves footballs so much he swallowed a whole one, and nearly lost his life.Bracken's owner John Grant from Lenzie, East Dunbartonshire, first realised something was up when his pet developed a constant cough.
Mr Grant took him to the vets who X-rayed the animal and discovered a strange dark shape near the dog's heart.
Surgeons at the University of Glasgow Small Animal Hospital were amazed to discover the shadow was actually a deflated football measuring five inches long.
Vet Damian Chase said: "Bracken had been fine and his stomach had been gradually moving in and out from this area in his chest, but because he had eaten this toy football it got stuck up there.
"Part of the stomach moved and was sitting next to his heart with the football in it. We were surprised because when we did the X-ray and scan we couldn't tell what it was. He is a very lucky dog. He would have died without the operation."
The abnormality, known as peritoneo-pericardial diaphragmatic hernia, can have fatal consequences, though it often goes undetected in many dogs who carry on to live normal lives.
After going under the knife twice, Bracken is now making a full recovery at home - but whether he's lost the taste for rubber balls is another matter.
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Wednesday 17 March
By John
That is the problem with certain dogs,we have one who is ball-crazy and also she loves the water so when a couple of years ago we took her to Wanstead Park she got in the lake and got hold of an anchored bouy which despite all calling she refused to let go of, and the only way we got her out was by me wading in to waist height to let it go!!
What was a bit annoying was that unknown to us a local bye-law which was not clearly signposted said that Dogs were not allowed in the lake - well if councils do not put very large and clear signs up well they cannot expect compliance can they!! A dog cannot read and if the bye-law is put on some obscure post in small writing then neither can the owners!!!!
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