Billy the spaniel had been playing in a large puddle of water whilst out on a walk with owner Mr. Jones, when he started to cough and drool, occasionally bringing up blood.

Concerned for his wellbeing, Mr. Jones quickly took him to The Grove Veterinary Group’s Dereham practice to seek advice. Here, the vet who examined Billy recommended he needed advanced imaging, so he was transferred to the group’s animal hospital in Fakenham.

Later that morning, a CT scan revealed a foreign body in one of Billy’s lungs. Closer examination identified a long and thin object, lodged within Billy’s left lower lung lobe. Grove’s team of four vet surgeons and nurses looking after Billy knew this foreign object needed to be removed quickly and carefully, otherwise it could lead to permanent lung damage and severe injury.

To treat Billy, an endoscopy was performed. Here, a long, thin tube with a tiny camera was put into Billy’s mouth and gently pushed down his throat. Once in place, it became very clear very quickly what was causing the issue; a large stick! So, using a combination of grasping forceps and careful co-ordination between the team, the stick was slowly pulled out. When removed, they were astonished to see it was over 32 centimetres long!