The Yorkshire Vet: Party interrupted by an inside job! - The Yorkshire Vet

Lunchtime parties at the practice can run the risk of being rather stilted affairs. This is out of necessity really, since there is always a steady stream of clients coming in to collect prescriptions or make appointments and the phone doesn’t stop ringing in the background. Work is never far away. However, the team at Thirsk seem to be able to make it work- they successfully managed to hold a Christmas lunch in mid-December, with roast turkey and all the trimmings provided by the excellent Gavel café next door. Makeshift arrangements took shape in the back corridor and, for the duration of the lunch break, it felt very festive.

Today’s baby shower went smoothly and without serious interruption, but it wasn’t long before the vets had to click back into work-mode. An owner called to report that their Labrador retriever had enthusiastically, but unfortunately, eaten a whole package of raw food. The package weighed one whole kilogram and resembled a large, fat sausage, wrapped in plastic and sealed at both ends with a metal crimp- rather like a huge black pudding but full of uncooked meat. Whichever way you look at it, that amount of raw meat, and in that form, is not a good thing to have in your stomach, even without the peril of a long length of plastic film and some metal clips. We decided that the best way to avoid any of the potential problems would be to make the greedy dog sick. This process is normally reserved for dogs who have eaten toxins such as chocolate or rat poison, but the method works well for anything that shouldn’t reside inside a dog’s intestinal system. An emergency appointment was booked, and reception reported that he was on his way down. There is a very effective injection which causes dogs to vomit within a few minutes of it being given. In the old days, the standard technique was to shovel balls of washing soda down a dog’s throat, but people don’t have that at home so commonly anymore. Before that, I remember watching Mr Herriot spoon mustard into the mouth of a Jack Russell to instigate the same effect. It usually worked a treat, but the nausea and confusion on the face of a poor dog is difficult to describe fully.

We injected today’s Labrador and moments later, the characteristic heaving began. Gulping and then a worried look, followed by salivation, followed by approximately one kilogram of raw dog food, partly wrapped in plastic. It’s a horrible thing to inflict on any dog, especially one that is feeling so pleased that he had managed to pull of such a successful food heist. It’s equally horrible for those with the task of supervising the evacuation. On the day of the baby shower, it seemed even more awful. I really hoped the smell of vomit stayed in the consulting room and wouldn’t waft its way down the corridor, where the party was still in full swing!