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A cat needed urgent surgery after a bin raid saw it scoff two long chicken satay skewers.
Worried owners Erin Higgins and partner Fraser McColl, from Glasgow, feared the damage the skewers could cause and rushed eight-year-old Micah to the Vets Now hospital in the city.
Despite them taking every possible precaution, it was the second time their Bengal cat had snatched potentially deadly skewers.
Now they’ve totally banned them from the house and are backing vets’ calls for owners to take extra care amidst a surge in skewer cases, especially with summer barbecues.
“We’ve always been so careful as he got into the kitchen bin when he was just over one-year old,” said Erin. “He became acutely unwell and although vets couldn’t see anything with scans, he was sick and brought up this wooden skewer which was several inches long.
“It was amazing he’d eaten it, and that he’d brought it up without tearing something and killing himself.
“As we like chicken satay, we’ve kept them away from him since and put a lock on the bin to stop him getting at anything. But this time it was open for just a few minutes, and he climbed in.
“We rushed straight in when we heard him, but when we checked we knew he’d eaten at least two skewers we’d thrown away that still had chicken on.”
The couple rushed him to the Vets Now hospital in North Street. It’s one of more than 60 clinics and hospitals across the UK that are open seven days a week for out-of-hours pet emergencies.
Initial X-rays couldn’t detect the skewers, but as Erin and Fraser were convinced he had eaten them, exploratory surgery was immediately carried out.
Both skewers, which still had the chicken on them, were removed during the delicate procedure. One had snapped and the missing end was found floating free in the stomach.
“We were worried about the surgery because of other health conditions Micah has, but so relieved it went well, and they got the sticks out,” said Erin. “He made an excellent recovery from the operation and the care from all the Vets Now team was first class.
“It was such a worrying situation and we felt he couldn’t have been in a better place.
“We’ve now stopped buying satay skewers altogether and we’d advise other pet owners to be really cautious.”
Emergency Vet Dave Leicester, head of telehealth at Vets Now, says this is a reminder that barbecues, and parties can be dangerous for our pets.
“You should keep potentially dangerous human food out of your pet’s reach. Skewers, corn on the cob and bones can be particularly hazardous as can any, heavily seasoned or spicy foods.” said Dave.
“Ensure that you dispose of any food waste responsibly and secure any bins that contain potentially dangerous or toxic items.”