Accident prone pooch Rusty is back to full fitness after experts at Boundary Vets in Abingdon treated him when he became impaled on a rusty spike.
Rusty's Latest Brush With Danger Dealt With By Oxford Vets
3 months ago 
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An ‘accident prone’ pooch called Rusty needed urgent veterinary care after becoming impaled on a nine-inch rusty spike while out on a walk.
According to his doting owners, eight-year-old Rusty has quite a track record in causing chaos and is no stranger to Linnaeus-owned Boundary Vets in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, having been treated on a number of occasions to remove foreign objects he’d snaffled.
However, on this occasion Rusty could have faced a life-threatening condition after the pug-Jack Russell crossbread ran on to a rusty spike while out with his dog walker, who immediately rushed him to the vets.
Boundary vet Elizabeth Couper took charge of the dramatic case and discovered the spike had penetrated three-and-a-half inches into Rusty’s chest, although mercifully missed his vital organs.
Elizabeth explained: “Rusty’s dog walker brought him in and said they’d just heard a yelp and then saw him holding his leg out to the side in an unusual position.
“A closer inspection revealed Rusty had run onto a long spike and, although it had come out on its own, the dog walker had still brought it along, which was very helpful.
“It was a very long spike and we could see from the blood covered end just how far it had penetrated.
“I examined Rusty and his breathing, and his lungs and heart all seemed fine and settled.
“There was a visible puncture wound to his chest, though. It was not actively bleeding but we could see it extended through the muscle layers and so required further investigation.
“Rusty was prepared for surgery and given a general anaesthetic, allowing me to make a sharp incision and dissect down to explore the extent of the damage.
“The puncture wound was clearly visible through the muscle layers and as I examined the surrounding tissue I could see a small dent which I suspected was where the end of the spike had reached.
“Fortunately, there was no further injuries although some metal flakes were visible.
“We flushed the wound with copious amounts of saline to clear these and to clean the surrounding area and then we carefully closed the incision in three layers.
“Rusty made a speedy recovery and was soon allowed home with pain relief medicine. He came back for a check-up a few days later and had healed wonderfully.”
Relieved owners Simon and Lyndsay Wilkinson, from Wootton, said they were stunned and concerned when they heard about the family pet’s accident.
Simon said “It was all a bit of a shock. Our dog walker David rang to say Rusty had impaled himself on a rusty spike, which is quite ironic considering his name.
“It was all very dramatic as the spike had gone in through his chest. Luckily, though, it had missed all of Rusty’s vital organs and arteries, although he had suffered a nasty, deep flesh wound.
“Thankfully, he’s back to his normal self now, though, after his latest escapade. Normally, he’s at Boundary Vets because he’s been scavenging and eaten something he shouldn’t have.
“He’s had a couple of operations there, so we know the Boundary vets well and knew he was in good hands.
“We have been going to them for a long time now and would definitely recommend them. Once again they’ve looked after Rusty really well.”
Lyndsay added: “Rusty has got a history of being very accident prone but this time I was very worried about him.
“Thankfully, he was incredibly lucky again! He was just millimetres away from a serious injury so it was a real scare but he’s absolutely fine now.
“He has made an amazing recovery and was back to his normal self within a week or two so we’re very relieved and grateful.”
For more information about Boundary Vets, visit www.boundaryvets.co.uk or search for them on social media.
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