Stockport bulldog has brush with death after eating eight-inch hairdresser's comb
French bulldog Lola had a brush with death after she swallowed a hairdresser's 8ins styling comb.
The one-year-old pup was taken for treatment after her owner Zoe Parton, 36, noticed Lola choking and struggling to stand up.
Lola's vet immediately referred her to Linnaeus-owned Northwest Veterinary Specialists (NWVS) in Sutton Weaver, Cheshire, after the incident earlier this month.
An endoscopy and X-rays showed the steel-handed styling comb had missed her major internal organs and was millimetres from piercing her oesophagus.
Vets Luca Motta and Harry Warwick used a miniscule camera on a tube to locate the comb and carefully remove it without needing to operate on Lola.
Relieved Zoe, from Stockport, said: "She really is a miracle dog and has been so very lucky.
"The comb has a sharp, steel handle which could have pierced any of her internal organs and caused serious damage, or worse, but all she came home with was a sore throat.
"It's incredible. There wasn't even a mark on the comb.
"It was still in pristine condition, no teeth marks where she had tried to chew it or break it down so she obviously swallowed it down in one."
The drama unfolded two weeks ago at the family's home when Lola started choking and showing signs of neck and shoulder pain and lameness.
Mum-of two Zoe added: "We were referred to NWVS for expert care and when they told me Lola had swallowed a comb I was amazed.
"I am a hairdresser but all of my hairdressing equipment is locked up in a box in the cupboard, so I have no idea how she got hold of it, even less how she managed to swallow it.
"It's such a crazy incident that I've been talking about it almost non-stop and everybody thinks it's a remarkable story."
Vet Luca said: "Lola was referred to us for investigation of neck and forelimb pain and pelvic limb weakness.
"X-rays revealed a long, thin metallic foreign body, later discovered to be a comb, which was deep in her oesophagus and likely to be the cause of the lameness so she was immediately referred to our internal medicine department for its removal."
Fellow vet Harry added: "The comb extended approximately eight inches from the entry to the stomach to the base of her neck.
"It's remarkable she managed to swallow it given the length of the comb.
"An added complication was that the sharp metal point of the parting comb was also pressing into the oesophagus in the region of the thoracic inlet, which was presenting as neck and limb pain.
"The comb was lodged at the lower oesophageal sphincter and the sharp point would likely have pierced the oesophagus at some point if it had not been removed.
"It's precarious position also made it very tricky to grasp with the endoscope – a small tube with camera and mini-tools inserted down the throat – and extremely difficult to remove.
"It took the combined efforts of several medics to manipulate and remove the comb.
"The sharp point had to be very carefully manoeuvred during retrieval to avoid any damage to the oesophagus. It was a tough task but we managed to remove it safely.
"Lola was eating comfortably the same evening and was discharged the following day."
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