A Yorkshire Terrier had a lucky escape after gobbling down a nine centimetre kebab skewer at a BBQ.
Five-year-old Gizmo ate the skewer along with some garlic bread that he had pinched from the table while guests were turned away.
Shortly after eating the stick, the tiny dog became ill and developed a massive abscess on his side.
Gizmo ate the stick whole and an exploratory surgery showed it had gotten stuck in his rib cage, meaning he was at risk of developing fatal peritonitis.
Jennie Keen, head nurse for the PDSA, said: "[The stick] could have easily have punctured a lung, or led to him developing a life threatening peritonitis on its voyage from Gizmo's stomach to his chest area
"Gizmo was a very lucky dog indeed, as the potential damage to Gizmo's body from the skewer could have been much, much worse."
Ruth Dalton, Gizmo's owner, warned owners to keep a close eye on their pets when serving food.
The PDSA echoed this advice, saying it receives many cases of animals eating unsuitable food or pet toys at barbecues.
