Pet Pooch Dolly Discovers There’s No Smoke Without Fire
1 month ago 
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A 13-year-old dog from Maidstone is lucky to be alive after swallowing a nicotine-filled vape pod during a walk and then undergoing a major operation to remove it from her stomach.
Following the ordeal, the dog’s owner and the team from Pennard Vets, which treated the Bichon Frise, named Dolly, are appealing to other pet owners and vapers to be aware of the dangers that e-cigarettes pose to pets.
Dolly had been under the weather for a couple of days when her owner, Beverley Everest, asked the team at Pennard Vets’ Maidstone practice, where she had also recently been treated for dental issues, to check her over.
The team noticed that Dolly winced when they picked her up or touched her abdomen, so they performed x-rays which revealed a foreign object in her stomach. Dolly was promptly booked in for a gastrotomy, which is a surgical procedure that creates a passage into the stomach, and the team were stunned when they plucked out a vape cartridge.
Veterinary surgeon and practice principal at Pennard Vets in Maidstone, Dr Sarla Balse, explained: “We’d recently extracted a few of Dolly’s teeth and when her owners explained that she seemed unwell, we carried out another full inspection of her. It quickly became clear that something around her abdomen was causing her discomfort, and her x-rays then revealed an object stuck in her stomach.
“Clearly operating on an elderly dog has its risks, but it was the only option available to us. Dolly was placed on an intravenous drip, given a general anaesthetic and prepared for surgery. I made an incision into her abdomen, and then an incision into her stomach to remove the object. Afterwards she was given antibiotics and pain relief and was monitored in our Sevenoaks hospital.
“When we realised the object was a vape pod, the whole operating team were shocked. Although there have been reports of pets ingesting vapes and related products, this was the first one we have seen at Pennard Vets and the reality is that it could have been inside her for a couple of weeks.
“With their keen noses, it’s no surprise that pets, wildlife and especially dogs can be interested in vaping products which often have sweet and food related scents added to them. If the nicotine and liquid inside the pod had leaked, or if the pod had become lodged in another part of Dolly’s body, it could have killed her.”
Beverley and her husband, Tony have had Dolly for the past 10 years after rescuing her when she was three years old. They also have a 10-year-old Bichon Frise called Koslie.
Beverley said: “Dolly is a beautiful dog who is always full of energy and loves being fussed and groomed, so when she suddenly became clingy and whiny, we knew something wasn’t right. She’d had a few teeth removed a couple of weeks earlier so we thought it might be related, but we were astonished to see what initially looked like a little robot or Lego man on her x-rays, especially because it’s rare that she eats anything she shouldn’t.
“Thankfully, the operation was a success, and her recovery has gone very well. She has healed quickly and is back to her bouncy and bubbly self, with a neat little scar to remind everyone what she’s been through!
“Pet owners and vapers really need to be aware how attractive nicotine pods can be to dogs. We’re a lot more cautious when walking with both Dolly and Koslie after this and it’s vitally important that pet owners stay vigilant where vapes and e-cigarettes are concerned.”
Pennard Vets is a B-Corp certified veterinary group that was founded in Sevenoaks, Kent in 1890 and it now has eight practices, employing a 172-strong team, in Allington, Borough Green, Langley Park, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and West Malling. In 2021, Pennard Vets became the world’s largest employee-owned practice.
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