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Dog saved after swallowing Nintendo game
Vets found the Nintendo DS game lodged in Rocco's small intestine.

Vets stunned to find DS game lodged in dog’s intestine

A rescue dog has been saved by PDSA vets in Glasgow after swallowing a Nintendo DS game.

Staffordshire bull terrier Rocco was admitted to the Shamrock Street pet hospital after his worried owners noticed he was vomiting and refusing to eat. He was rushed into emergency surgery after an x-ray revealed the rectangular-shaped object in his gut.

Vets say they were stunned to find the game lodged in his small intestine. Left untreated, it could have caused a fatal blockage.

Owner Sean Johnston, 27, said: “He wasn’t acting himself at all and we were worried he’d eaten a corn on the cob, but we were so shocked when the vet said it was from a video game!

“We don’t own a Nintendo or anything like that so we’re baffled as to where he got it from. He’s a rescue dog and we’ve only had him for about six months so the only thing we can think is that it was from his previous owners – who knows how long it’s been in there!”

PDSA senior vet Susan Hermit added: “We see dogs that eat strange things all the time but none of us had ever seen anything like this! Objects can sometimes sit in the stomach for a while, but they cause problems when they try and push through the guts, which are much narrower.

“It was a good job Sean brought Rocco in when he did, as an object of this size trying to pass through the guts could have caused a deadly blockage or pierced his internal organs.”

Image © PDSA

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Charities' XL bully neutering scheme closes

News Story 1
 A scheme that helped owners of XL bully dogs with the cost of neutering has closed to new applications due to high demand.

The scheme, run by the RSPCA, Blue Cross, and Battersea, has helped 1,800 dogs and their owners after XL bullies were banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

In England and Wales, owners of XL bully dogs which were over one year old on 31 January 2021 have until 30 June 2024 to get their dog neutered. If a dog was between seven months and 12 months old, it must be neutered by 31 December 2024. If it was under seven months old, owners have until 30 June 2025.

More information can be found on the Defra website. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Avian flu cattle outbreak spreads to tenth US state

Cattle in two dairy herds in Iowa have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), making it the tenth state in the USA to be affected by the ongoing outbreak of the disease in cattle.

Since March 2024, more than 80 herds across the USA have been affected by the virus and three dairy workers have tested positive. Authorities have introduced measures to limit the spread of the virus and farmers have been urged to strengthen their biosecurity protocols.

Mike Naig, Iowa secretary of agriculture, said: "Given the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza within dairy cattle in many other states, it is not a surprise that we would have a case given the size of our dairy industry in Iowa.

"While lactating dairy cattle appear to recover with supportive care, we know this destructive virus continues to be deadly for poultry."