Summer’s Bone Warning

Lovely eight-year-old Labrador Summer was rushed into us as an emergency with a tongue that was swollen and dripping with blood.

Her owner said “We gave Summer an air-dried lamb bone which I had bought from a pet store as it was her birthday. She went off to chew it for most of the afternoon. It was the first time I had ever given her a bone and kept an eye on her while she was eating it. The following morning, we came down to her tongue swollen and protruding, with blood dripping from her mouth.”

The team found that a string from the bone had caused a torniquet around her tongue and cut off the blood circulation. To try to save Summer’s tongue, they applied leeches to the area in a bid to improve the blood flow, but they were ultimately forced to amputate her tongue.

One of our Residents in Small Animal Surgery Hilario Gonzalez Montano said: “We used leeches, which keep blood flowing in the damaged area, but after a few days it became clear the tongue would need to be removed. We had to surgically remove about 60 per cent of her tongue but now Summer is back fighting fit and feeling better after her freak accident. There are lots of injuries which can be caused by bones, although this is definitely one of the more unusual, however we recommend not to give them to your dog just in case.”

Summer’s owner said “We have had to make some changes to her lifestyle, but Summer is now back to her old self. She does have to eat and drink differently and now throws food back into her mouth, so we give her a mix of biscuits and wet food to make it easier to eat. We also wipe her mouth and front legs as she can’t lick herself clean anymore. During the hot weather we also have been extra cautious, as she is more prone to heat stroke as she can’t pant. If you looked at her you wouldn’t know she only had 40 per cent of her tongue left. She is cheerful within herself and is able to lead a full life. The team have been so thorough with her care and checking up on her.”