A cocker spaniel almost died after it swallowed a face mask carelessly discarded on a playing field.
Laura Chan, 54, from Glasgow was walking her two cocker spaniels - four-year-old Jasper and two-year-old Kobe - one afternoon when Kobe got hold of a face mask.
Despite urgently trying to retrieve the mask from Kobe's mouth, it was too late - the pooch had already swallowed it whole.
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Laura was especially concerned that the medical face mask, which was fitted with a wire around the edges, could puncture Kobe's stomach due to the sharp metal. She rushed the little pooch to the vets who incredibly managed to retrieve the mask in one piece!
"I was worried the mask had wire in it and would damage his insides," said Laura.
"I was also concerned the elastic would get stuck around his insides and that they might have to open him up to retrieve the mask.
"Luckily the vets helped and the mask came up in one piece. Since this happened, I've been really vigilant.
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"He has not been off his lead since which is a shame, but I don't want to make another trip to the vets with him."
Kobe is now recovering at home with Laura and her son Leon, 24. The mum-of-four is now trying to teach the pooch to wear a muzzle while out on walks, so he can be let off the lead again without worry.
She's also started picking up discarded face masks herself while out and about, to protect other inquisitive pups like Kobe.
"The vets said it was a first for them for a dog to swallow a mask. Hopefully they won't see another case," said Laura.
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"Thankfully Kobe was back home by the evening and was his normal self, looking for food as soon as he got in.
"I want everybody to make sure they safely dispose face masks. Don't just throw them on the ground."
Sophie Ashworth, from the University of Glasgow Small Animal Hospital, said: "We frequently see dogs eating 'foreign bodies' which require emergency treatment, such as that for Kobe.
"One of the overlooked side effects of Covid-19 seems to be more discarded PPE, such as gloves and face masks.
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"This is a timely reminder that littering is not only bad for our environment, but also poses a danger for our pets."
Please guys, remember to dispose of unwanted masks (or any kind of PPE) safely.
Featured Image Credit: Caters