Gulp! Dog swallows cellphone
2008-09-04 08:22
Pretoria - A dog named Nero learnt the hard way that he couldn't have his cake - or rather, his biltong - and eat it.
He swallowed a Nokia cellphone and it had to be removed in an operation costing his owners almost R6 000. Now Nero, who often swallows stones too, has a large scar and ten stitches on his belly.
Nero's owner, Marie Matthews, 67, from Valhalla in Pretoria, recounted on Wednesday how the dog swallowed the phone a week ago.
Her daughter, Driekie Boojens, was busy feeding the dog biltong. When Nero snatched the biltong between her fingers, he also swallowed the cellphone in her hand.
Scared he would die
"My daughter screamed terribly because we were scared that Nero would die," said Matthews.
They immediately took Nero to an animal clinic near Matthews's home.
"We were very worried. I couldn't stop crying."
Nero underwent an operation the next day, and everything went well. The operation cost Matthews and her husband Archie, 72, R5 686. "They not only found the cellphone, but also a lot of stones," she added.
The couple had to throw away the phone as it hasn't worked since Nero tucked into it.
'Almost normal'
Archie said Nero was "almost normal". The dog, who will turn 12 in November, has heart problems according to the couple's grandson, Dyllan Armstrong, 13.
The Matthews were relieved to have Nero back home.
"He is my life, like one of my children," said Marie.