A mischief-making dog called Benji swallowed EIGHT bright yellow rubber ducks and had to be rushed into emergency care.
Larger-than-life Labrador Benji grabbed the ducks from a bag while no-one was looking then proceeded to wolf them all down.
And while food-obsessed Benji thought the ducks were just a tasty snack, the harmless-looking toys actually posed a serious threat to his life.
Five-year-old Benji managed to clear seven of the ducks from his tummy by being sick – but the eighth lodged solid in his stomach. 
The only way to remove it was through an emergency operation – a tricky procedure made even more difficult because of similar surgery which Benji underwent 18 months previously after he swallowed a squeaker from a dog toy.
Luckily for Benji, the operation at our seven-days-a-week clinic in Edinburgh was a success – and after two days of recuperation he was able to go home to his relieved owner, Sandra McCreadie.
Sandra, who lives in Livingston, West Lothian, said: “A dog eating eight rubber ducks does I realise sound quite comical – but it was honestly no laughing matter at the time.
“It was actually really, really serious and I was very worried that Benji might not make it, especially given the surgery he’d had before.
“But the team at Vets Now were brilliant with him – and after a day or so back at home he was back to his usual self as though nothing had ever happened.
“Benji really is quite something. He’s just a riot and is definitely a one-off. He’s also really, really cunning when it comes to eating things he shouldn’t.
“Believe it or not, he once managed to unzip my son Euan’s schoolbag and eat through his homework – which has got to be one of the few times that the ‘dog ate my homework’ excuse has actually been true!
“My other dog Buster is a Labrador who is four years older than Benji – he has never had any mishaps and is always perfectly behaved.
“So, I don’t know where Benji gets it from!”
Benji’s latest drama began when Sandra opened her garage door to get out his paddling pool on a warm afternoon in June.
While she was filling the pool, Benji sneaked into the garage and discovered the ducks.
Sandra said: “People ask me why on earth I had a bag of yellow ducks in my garage – and the answer is that Euan is a swimming instructor and so is a friend of mine who is living with us at the moment.
“They used the ducks in swimming lessons a few times to encourage the kids to get into the water.
“The first I realised something was wrong was when we took Benji on his evening walk.
“He was eating a lot of grass then he was quite badly sick and brought up a slightly chewed duck in the process.
“When we got home, he was sick twice more, and the second time he brought up four ducks.
“The next day he brought up another two, but he was still eating, drinking, and going to the toilet as normal.
“Then about 6.30pm he was sick all over the living room and I could just tell there was something more seriously wrong.
“So, I got in touch with Vets Now and they arranged for me to bring him in straightaway.”
Our vet surgeon Fiona Selby said: “The duck was removed from the mid-section of Benji’s bowel called the jejunum.
“There’s no doubt it was potentially life threatening if had he not had surgery – he was at serious risk of the duck perforating his bowel.
“And that could have led to multi-organ failure caused by sepsis from the contents of his gut being released into the abdomen.
“He was in surgery for nearly an hour, which shows how serious it was.
“I have to say: In my ten years qualified I’ve frequently seen cases of pets eating unusual or strange objects – but I can honestly say I have never had a case of a rubber duck before! 
“We’re all so pleased that Benji is back to his normal self – he was such a loveable guy and really sociable too.
“When he was feeling better, he was pottering around with my colleagues on their ward rounds in the morning like he was part of the team!”
Sandra said: “Quite apart from what they did for Benji, Fiona and her colleagues were really kind and patient with me as well and I’m very grateful to them.
“A lot of people with young kids will have rubber ducks as bath toys and I’m really keen to let other dog owners know that their pet could easily eat one of them and end up in the same position as Benji – and I really wouldn’t want that to happen to anyone else.”