A PUPPY has had a “miraculous” escape from injury after it swallowed a plastic dart which was nearly the size of its whole body.

Maria Caulfield, 32, and husband Craig, 34, of Newport, had brought eight-week-old Lola - a cross between a ridgeback, cane corso and a sheepdog – home for the first time earlier on June 10.

Five days after arriving at the Caulfield’s home the playful puppy had been energetically running around the house, picking up the pair’s shoes or toys left on the floor by their young sons, Lewis and Arron. This included the 10-inch dart, which came as part of a bow and arrow set that had come free with a children’s magazine.

“It was in the evening and we were on the settee and Lola was running around being very playful when she ran out of the room,” said Mrs Caulfield.

“All of a sudden we heard a huge yelp and she came running in with her mouth wide open and became violently sick.”

The puppy was rushed to an emergency vet who was unable to find any evidence of the dart, prescribing the family with some tablets to cope with the sickness. When Lola’s condition deteriorated over the following days, Mrs Caulfield was adamant that something was lodged in her neck and, at closer inspection, could feel a lump.

After taking Lola to Companion Care Vets at the Pets at Home branch in Maesglas Industrial Park, an X-ray was approved.

“At first they weren’t sure what it was but it was clear that it was the dart,” said Mrs Caulfield.

“I went home and sent them a picture of another of the darts that we had and they then decided to open up her stomach.

“The vet said she could feel it come away from where it was buried in her neck.”

The family are unsure how Lola swallowed the dart but Mrs Caulfield said they think the puppy picked it up and as she was running about the room the dart may have caught on a door or the wall, causing it to completely lodge itself in the puppy.

According to Mrs Caulfield, Lola is now recovering well thanks to the surgery which the family would have been unable to pay for, were it not for the insurance they purchased on the day they got her.

“When we bought her, Lola hadn’t had any treatment or hadn’t been wormed, so Pets at Home gave us insurance coverage,” said Mrs Caulfield.

“In a way, it’s an absolute miracle that she recovered, I think it shows that she’s meant to be with us. I think being a bigger puppy saved her because if she was any smaller it probably could have damaged her vital organs.”

She added: “We hope this will be warning for other pet owners to be extra vigilant with what their puppies play with, as they’re adventurous and will play with anything.”

Rachel Mosedale, practice owner of Companion Care Vets, said: “It was veterinary surgeon Yordanka Boyanova who did the initial detective work and discovered via an X-ray that the base of the arrow was in Lola’s stomach.

She said they thought they could examine by touch the tip still in the throat, but didn’t believe it until they performed the surgery and removed the arrow.

“Lola had been a bit quiet, but all things considered she was doing remarkably well.

“She had been running around for a few days with an arrow extending from her throat all the way down to her stomach.

“The surgery went very well and hopefully she should go on and make a full recovery.”