Sam lost half of his intestines after swallowing deadly corn on the cob

Sam was rushed to Glasgow Shamrock Street PDSA Pet Hospital for emergency treatment after swallowing an entire corn on the cob.

Sam's owner, Lorraine, was terrified at the thought of losing her pet.

She said: "We first noticed something was wrong when Sam started being sick and it gradually got worse until he was being sick every 20 minutes.

"I couldn't believe it when PDSA x-rayed him and told us what was causing the blockage."

The corn husk had become stuck in Sam's small intestine, cutting off the blood supply. The blockage was so severe that it caused irreversible damage.

PDSA Senior Vet, Susie Hermit, said it was one of the most severe cases she had ever seen.

Luckily, after a long operation to remove half his intestine, Sam began to quickly recover.

Lorraine said: "We're extra careful with him now but I'm really happy he's made such a good recovery. He's back to his old self again and is eating normally which is great."

Corn-on-the-cob is one of the most common items removed from pets alongside bones and kebab sticks – All the items you'd expect to find at a BBQ!

Susie added: “Pets like to use their mouth to investigate objects as well as to eat. Puppies and younger pets will often swallow an item by mistake, even though they had only meant to investigate it.

“Something like corn-on-the-cob might seem harmless enough but if an object moves along the digestive system, as it did with Sam, it can cause a tear or life-threatening blockage.

Make sure you keep your pets safe during barbecues by reading our guide to BBQ safety!