Dog fully recovered after snorting up an ear of wheat (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Dog fully recovered after snorting up an ear of wheat

4:15pm Monday 10th August 2009 in News By Alexandra Barham

A DOG from St Albans, who miraculously survived after an ear of wheat lay in his lung for almost two weeks causing it to collapse, has made a full recovery.

Marley, a two-year-old black Labrador, snorted the 7cm ear of wheat in Heartwood Forest in Sandridge.

When the pooch started to cough and refuse food over the following days, his owner Julie Hempenstall became concerned and took him to Cayton Veterinary Surgery in Hatfield Road, Smallford.

Julie told the Review: "At the time he didn't have a temperature, they thought he had a cough and so sent him home with some Benylin to help ease it.

"After a week he was getting worse - they took him in and x-rayed him and discovered what was wrong with him."

The x-ray revealed the piece of wheat had become lodged inside Marley's left lung and that it had collapsed.

Vet Lenny Cooper, who treated the dog, said: "Marley was running through a field of wheat and while his mouth was open the bit of wheat must have broken off and gone straight down into his windpipe. It got wedged in his left lung."

Last Friday, Marley was taken to surgery where he was operated on to remove the wheat which had been lodged in his lung for around 10 days, causing a large spread of infection.

"I was really worried," Julie said. "Although they (the vets) said it was treatable, you still think something awful could happen. It was causing an infection; I think if they hadn't discovered it Marley would have died. It was amazing, I couldn't believe it had been there for nearly two weeks and he still carried on as well as he did.

"It's miraculous really, he's back to normal - almost since the day he came back after they operated on him. "He's full of energy and eating lots."

Marley's progress will continue to be monitored over the next few weeks.