Penny the Beagle swallowed a needle but didn’t require a single stitch

Penny, an 18 month old Beagle, was brought into Leeds Birstall Vets for Pets 24/7 Hospital after her owner believed she had gulped down a sewing needle at home. 

In classic beagle fashion, she had been rooting around in a place where she shouldn’t have been when her owner Laura briefly saw a metallic object in her mouth, before it disappeared. In a split second, the needle seemed to have been eaten. 

Laura took Penny to Leeds Birstall Vets for Pets as quickly as possible, but crucially, Penny was not showing any immediate symptoms. The team noted that she was not coughing, retching, vomiting, or showing discomfort, but knew that swallowing a sharp object could still cause serious internal injury. 

An X-ray confirmed the needle was sitting in Penny’s stomach. 

Penny was placed under a general anaesthetic by Graduate Veterinary Surgeon Anna Pollard, who performed an endoscopy to locate the foreign body. The needle was immediately located in Penny’s stomach and carefully removed using specialist equipment, completely avoiding the need for invasive surgery. 

Anna then checked Penny’s oesophagus and stomach again and confirmed the needle had caused no internal damage. 

Penny recovered quickly at Leeds Birstall Vets for Pets and was discharged to her owner, Laura, the same day. She has since bounced back to her usual self, minus the interest in sewing kits. 

Veterinary Surgeon and Practice Owner of Leeds Birstall Vets for Pets, Keith Leonard, said:

“Penny’s case shows how fast a pet can swallow something it shouldn’t and still seem to act completely fine. If you think your pet has swallowed a potentially harmful object, act quickly and call a vet straight away. Finally, if you have a naturally inquisitive pet, keep dangerous items stored securely or out of reach.” 

Vets for Pets practices are locally owned and led by individual, entrepreneurial vets who choose to partner with a national brand to start their own, individual businesses based on the needs of their local community.