Vets' warning to dog owners after puppy gets bone 'wrapped around jaw'

09.11.2022 - 01:25 / dailyrecord.co.uk

Dog owners are being warned over the dangers of giving their pets bones, after one pup was left injured after chowing down on the treat.

Black Labrador Jess was left in a bad way after a donut-shaped bone got stuck around her jaw. While owner Ben Prince tried hard to remove it, this put her under serious "distress" and he ultimately had to seek medical help for his beloved pet.

At the Priory Vets, which is part of the My Family Vets network, health professionals were able to safely remove the bone from the pup's mouth, just in time for her first birthday, reports Wales Online.

Ben has shared Jess' struggle to make other dog parents aware of the safety risks of bones to prevent further accidents. “Jess really loves chewing things and although balls are her favourite, she does get stuck into bones,” said Ben.

“We used to get them for her quite regularly and there had never been any problems. She was playing with it in the kitchen when I put her to bed, and I didn’t think twice about leaving her with it.

"When I came down to feed her the next morning, she kept going to her bowl and running off. She usually wolfs it down and I couldn’t see the bone, so I didn’t appreciate the problem.

"But my heart sank when I got down to look and saw the bone was totally wrapped around her lower jaw."

Ben added: "I don’t know how she got it on, and I thought I might just be able to slip it back off. But every time I tried, she was in quite a bit of distress. I called my dad, who looks after her when I’m at work, and we realised we just couldn’t budge it and needed help.”

Although a staple for dogs for generations, bones are a regular cause of emergency admissions to vet practices. Some retailers have even removed them from sale following