Beloved Glasgow dog almost died after eating bone

Linda Lyttle is warning other pet owners to be on alert after her six-year-old red fox labrador, Sunny, needed emergency surgery after eating a treat.

The 45-year-old, from Knightwood, noticed the dog had low energy, wasn’t able to go to the toilet, and was “acting off”.

He started to become unwell around Saturday, November 12, which raised “alarm bells” after a family member gave him a medium-sized bone.

Sunny was taken to Vets Now in Glasgow where medics confirmed how serious his condition was as the bone was at risk of causing damage to his bowels and intestines after not digesting.

Linda told the Glasgow Times: “My family has been so upset by all of this, we almost lost Sunny.

“I never normally allow him to have a bone, but he had been given one by a family member and started acting off.

“Alarm bells started going so I took him to the vet and she knew something was really wrong right away.

“The bone hadn’t disgested properly and ended up in little shards which cut him. He also ended up with fluid in his tummy and an infection.

“It had entered his large intestine and was beginning to stretch and pull it, but luckily hadn’t punctured it yet which would have meant he was a goner.

“I would warn others to be careful with bones for their dogs, I won't be giving Sunny another one.”

Linda was told he desperately needed the lifesaving operation or would have to be put down, but the surgery would reportedly cost up to £7000.

The mum was distraught as she scrambled to find the funds to save her pet, who was only insured to £3000, before finding out she could contact the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA).

The charity helps provide free and low-cost treatment to pets in need.

Linda suffers from a neurological condition meaning she receives financial help making her eligible to have the PDSA help with the bill.

It meant she could pay less than £700 for the surgery which ultimately saved Sunny’s life.

Now she wants other pet owners to be aware of the PDSA and the crucial services it provides.

Linda said: “We were all in a terrible state and desperate to save him. Letting Sunny go was not an option we had to fight for him.

“Vets Now needed £2000 paid up front, the only other option was to put him down.

“I didn’t have that money. I just couldn’t believe it. I was phoning all my family members asking for a loan.

“I can't be any more appreciative of the PDSA charity. They told us to say our goodbyes to Sunny because the surgery was so risky but still managed to save him.

“I had remembered a friend had used PDSA in the past and called them up. The woman was amazing and so helpful.

“They took over and it meant we had to pay less than £700 instead, it was such a relief.

“I wish Vets Now had told me about the PDSA because I might have had to put my dog down without them.”

A Vets Now spokesperson said: “The Vets Now emergency hospital in Glasgow works in partnership with other veterinary practices in the Greater Glasgow area, including the two PDSA hospitals in Glasgow, to provide their out-of-hours emergency service.

“Pet owners who are registered with private daytime veterinary practices are treated by Vets Now as private clients.

“In most circumstances, Vets Now can provide emergency out-of-hours treatment to registered PDSA clients.

“We don’t normally comment publicly on individual cases and our client care team are working directly with Sunny’s owner to try and help resolve her complaint with her.

“We’re really sorry to hear that our service didn’t meet our client’s expectations.

“Our hardworking and professional teams work through the night and on weekends to be there for pets and their owners at the time when they need it most and the wellbeing of the animals we treat is always our top priority.”