A Jack Russell was saved from a sticky situation by PDSA vets after munching on a glossy leaflet that glued his teeth together.
Oscar, 10, had to be rushed to the charity’s Blackpool Pet Hospital for emergency treatment after he was unable to open his mouth.
The beloved pet was given a general anaesthetic so that PDSA vets could remove the “papier mâché-like” substance, which had glued his jaws shut.
PDSA vet Rachel Smith said: “Oscar was brought into us in an extremely distressed state. Chewing the leaflet had turned into a sticky wallpaper-like substance inside his mouth, which had glued his teeth together.
“Once he was anaesthetised, we used our dentistry equipment to remove it from his mouth.
“Thankfully he made a good recovery and he was able to go home the same day.”
Owner Pat Finnerty, 55, of Marton Moss, said she had gone shopping with her daughter, and returned home around an hour later to find Oscar in an extremely anxious state.
She said: “I brought him back a treat and he wanted to eat it, but he couldn’t open his mouth and there was all this saliva everywhere.
“When I looked closer at his mouth, I could see that he couldn’t open his jaw but I didn’t know what it was. I then noticed a chewed up leaflet that must have been posted through the letterbox and realised what had happened.”
They contacted PDSA and were advised to bring Oscar straight to the Pet Hospital in Hawes Side Lane.
Pat said she was hugely grateful to PDSA for the treatment Oscar received and now takes extra precautions to prevent him going for the mail again:
“He hasn’t learned his lesson and, given the chance, he still tries to get the post. I now take extra care to shut the door between the lounge and the front door when I go out. Oscar means the world to us, so I don’t want him getting into trouble again!”
PDSA vets advise taking steps to ensure pets can’t get at any mail such as keeping hallway doors shut or using a letter cage on the inside of the front door. Letters and leaflets dropping through the door can be particularly enticing for dogs as they often like to explore new items with their mouths.
