Dog survives swallowing a skewer

It is thought Cassie swallowed the skewer at Ethan's party

A dog is recovering well after a kebab skewer it swallowed at a child's birthday party nearly five months ago popped out through its ribs.

Owner Suzanne Weir had no idea what was causing her pet's pain and was resigned to putting the Collie cross down.

However, when she heard Cassie whine in the middle of the night and went to investigate she found the seven-inch stick popping out - still intact.

The vet said it was a "miracle" Cassie, from Fallin, Stirlingshire, survived.

'Poking out'

Ms Weir believes 12-year-old Cassie swallowed the pointed skewer at her son Ethan's third birthday party in October.

She said: "A while later Cassie had started to become ill.

"Her weight went down dramatically, she developed some breathing problems and a lump appeared on her side.

"I took her to the vet and I was told it didn't look good.

"It was suggested that Cassie may have been shot with an airgun pellet or that it may be a tumour."

Ms Weir said things took a frightening turn on Sunday when she spotted the skewer.

We are just very glad to see her jumping about again the way she used to Suzanne Weir

"She was quite distressed and I noticed there were about three inches of the skewer prodding out from where this lump had been," she said.

"I had to be brave and pull it out.

"The vets couldn't believe it when I showed them the skewer, still in one piece.

"They said it should have been fatal but it had worked its way through her system before coming out her side."

Suzanne said Cassie was now on antibiotics to ward off infection as her wound heals, but she is recovering well.

She added: "We are just very glad to see her jumping about again the way she used to."

Christine Paterson, from Brucefields Veterinary Centre in Stirling, said: "It's the sort of situation you occasionally see with cattle if they have picked up a piece of wire or something as they have been grazing in the field.

"But I have never seen it in a dog.

"We certainly wouldn't expect it to be something a dog would survive, if you think about the amount of damage an object like that could do travelling through the system.

"It is amazing to see what this dog has come through."