Veterinarians are calling a 12-week-old Staffordshire bull terrier named Macie “extremely lucky” after she survived swallowing an eight-inch kitchen knife.
Incredible X-ray images from U.K. pet charity People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) show the knife deeply lodged in the puppy’s small body.
Owner Irene Paisley said she thought Macie had swallowed part of a toy when she heard the dog squeaking and making strange noises late December. Still on edge after losing her previous dog two months earlier to cancer, Paisley said she was “terrified.”
It was only after taking her to the emergency room that the X-rays revealed the true obstruction. The knife had passed through Macie to the point where the handle had entered her intestines.
“I couldn’t believe it when they said Macie had swallowed a knife,” Paisley said. “I have no idea where she got hold of it – she could have pinched it out of the dishwasher but no one saw what happened. None of us could sleep that night as we knew Macie might not survive.”
Vets operated on Macie overnight and were able to remove the knife safely.
“Her saving grace was that she swallowed the knife handle-end first,” said vet Emily Ronald. “The blade-end would undoubtedly have pierced her organs, likely causing fatal injuries.”
But Macie bounced right back to her playful self, according to the PDSA.
PDSA vets have encountered many incidences where dogs have swallowed foreign objects (including golf balls, clothing items and Christmas decorations) but said this was the first time they had to remove a kitchen knife.
They explained that dogs, especially puppies, are curious and like to explore. Sometimes dogs will examine an object with their mouth and inadvertently swallow it.
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