Fireworks fear causes dog to eat 1m of tinsel

Vets are urging people to keep Christmas decorations out of paws' reach after a dog ate 1m (3.2ft) of tinsel.

Eight-year-old crossbreed Shylah consumed the festive trimming last Christmas Eve after becoming scared by fireworks.

Her owner said they saw tinsel missing from the mantelpiece and "got really worried" when Shylah was sick.

Jane Cutler, senior vet at Wolverhampton PDSA said she was "pretty shocked" when the entire length of tinsel was pulled out of the dogr in one piece. Shylah has since recovered.

Shylah's owner said they had tried to comfort her when she became scared. But then, after leaving the room for a short time, noticed some tinsel missing from the mantlepiece.

"I wondered if Shylah might've eaten it, but it wasn't until a bit later when she went off her food and was sick that I got really worried."

The owners contacted Wolverhampton PDSA's pet hospital and the charity told them to bring the dog immediately where she had x-rays.

A large mass in her stomach, which the PDSA could only assume was the tinsel, was revealed, the charity said.

The owner said: "Shylah is my world and I was worried sick when they said she had to have surgery.

"But they said the fact I'd acted so fast meant I'd saved things from potentially getting much worse."

Within days, Shylah was getting back to her normal self and has since fully recovered.

All decorations are now kept out of her reach.

Ms Cutler added emergencies "don't stop coming just because it's Christmas".

PDSA said it provides free and low-cost vet care to people struggling with vet fees and appealed for donations to help save lives.

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