WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGE: Greedy dog lucky to be alive after swallowing 18cm kebab skewer

Mischief-maker Bobby, aged ten, nearly died when the wooden skewer got wedged in his tummy and punctured his stomach lining.

Owner Julie Sykes from Doncaster, saw the spike-like skewer disappear down Bobby’s throat when he grabbed it from her son Harvey as the family celebrated Harvey's 11th birthday with a takeaway dinner.

Unsurprisingly, Bobby quickly became uncomfortable and reluctant to sit down, requiring an emergency appointment at the pet emergency clinic in Doncaster.

After examining Bobby thoroughly and discussing his options with Julie, the senior vet at Vets Now advised that surgery would be the best option to remove the skewer.

Then, with Bobby anaesthetised, she opened his stomach and immediately discovered that the skewer had perforated it – causing his abdomen to become badly inflamed.

Thankfully, she was able to carefully prise out the skewer in one piece before it could do any more damage.

Bobby’s incision was closed, and he was monitored closely for the rest of night.

The next morning Bobby was well enough to be transferred to Julie’s daytime vets, where he continued to recover from his ordeal over the next four days.

Happily, he’s now back to his normal self: constantly following Julie around the house, rolling in things he shouldn’t roll in and trying to pinch carrots from the kitchen.

“The skewer was very long and sharp — and it was only a few millimetres away from causing Bobby more serious and potentially fatal damage,” said district vet Jacqui Seymour.

“But, thankfully, our experienced vet was able to remove it quite quickly and treat the inflammation to his abdomen. We’re all so pleased he’s made a full recovery.”

Julie said: “The team at Vets Now saved Bobby’s life – and they looked after me as well, which was really kind of them.

“As a pet owner in that situation you just want to know that your pet is in the safest hands – and that was definitely the case.

“Bobby is a huge part of our life and I dread to think what it would have been like if we’d lost him.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Liam Hoden, editor.