Puppy undergoes surgery after swallowing 8-inch kitchen knife

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A Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy in Scotland is recovering and lucky to be alive after she swallowed an eight-inch kitchen knife earlier this month.

Incredible X-rays show the knife clearly visible in the 12-week old puppy's body.
   
Owner Irene Paisley rushed her dog, Macie, to emergency care at the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), after the pup began choking.

“I was terrified,” Paisley told PDSA. “Macie was making a squeaking sound. I thought she’d swallowed part of a toy,” Paisley added.

By the time they got to PDSA's emergency care, Paisley said blood was shooting out of the dog's nose.

Paisley noted that she was still mourning the loss of her last dog to cancer only two months prior and said she feared the worst.

Veterinarians brought the dog in for X-rays and instantly noticed the knife she had swallowed.

Vets performed emergency surgery to remove the blade.

PDSA officials said they had never seen anything like this before and said Macie had luck on her side. 

“She was extremely lucky to survive. Her saving grace was that she swallowed the handle-end first ― the blade-end would undoubtedly have pierced her organs, likely causing fatal injuries,” veterinarian Emily Ronald said.

Paisley still does not know how the family dog got a hold of the knife.

One theory is that Macie could have reached her head into the dishwasher and snatched up the blade when no one was looking.

One thing's for sure, the mother of four is extremely grateful to the vets who saved her pup's life.

“Although she’s only young, Macie is already a big part of the family. She brings us so much joy and happiness, and means the world to the children.”

It didn't take long for the puppy to be back to her playful self.

“The morning after surgery, she was bouncing all over the place as if nothing had happened," Ronald said.

PDSA officials said that while Macie's case is unusual, dogs are known to use their mouths to investigate objects. In the process, they can mistakenly swallow all kinds of objects.

PDSA said over the years, its vets have surgically removed a wide range of items dogs have ingested, from golf balls to rubber ducks.

As for Macie, she is back home, returns to the vets for frequent check-ups, and is well on her way to a full recovery.