Razor-sharp BBQ brush almost stabbed puppy to death after it swallowed bristles

A puppy was almost stabbed to death from the inside after swallowing hundreds of razor-sharp bristles.

Hungry Riley the 20-month-old labradoodle chewed off countless deadly spikes from a wire cleaning brush.

The utensil has been coated in cooking fats after being used to scrub clean a barbecue.

Vets saved the poor pooch by instructing Riley's owner Leon Tomasevic, 39, to bulk feed him in the hope the spikes would safely pass in poo.

Now Leon from Nottingham is calling for a ban on "cheap, flimsy brushes" which he warns can perforate internal organs, causing fatal bleeding.

He said: "The first time was at home, when he’d gone out in the garden in the morning as a puppy and found the barbecue brush lying around.

“We had absolutely no idea of the dangers but when he started chewing at it, because of the flavours and scents of the cooking, the tiny bristles just came off.

“He was sick within minutes and our vets were incredibly worried.

"There were literally hundreds of bristles, and it would have been impossible to operate and get them all out."

The owner had to bulk-feed Riley to try help the bristles pass through naturally without causing damage which worked after a couple days, NottinghamshireLive reports.

On the second occasion the family were visiting friends, unaware these was a similar brush in the garden.

Before they could do anything, hungry Riley had chewed at the brush head, ingesting the razor-sharp bristles.

He added: “I saw he’d gone quiet, which is generally a sign of mischief, and my heart sank when I saw what he was doing.

“I couldn’t believe it had happened again.

“It was a Sunday so I called Vets Now straight away and got him along as fast as I could.

“He was sick in the car and then he had to be sedated for the X-rays, which showed he was absolutely full to the brim of little wire bristles in his stomach and intestines.”

After careful examination, Riley was allowed home to follow the same bulk feeding regime.

Thankfully, it worked and Leon is now campaigning for further awareness.

The owner added: "These brushes should be banned, they are absolutely deadly.

“If you scrub a grill with a cheap one, you’ll see these bristles just fly off and they are real killers.”

Vets urge dog owners to exercise caution this bank holiday weekend, following a 99% increase in barbecue-related pet emergencies since 2019.

The increase includes dogs eating skewers, charcoal, and wire cleaning brushes with lethal spikes.

Vets Now, the emergency care provider, has seen cases almost double since 2019 and fear many more animals will be at risk.

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Dave Leicester, head of telehealth at Vets Now, says care needs to be taken to avoid end-of-summer fun turning to anguish.

“You and your guests should be aware of which foods are dangerous to your pets,” said Dave.

“Alcohol, corn on the cob and bones are particular barbecue hazards.

"Foods that are high in fat can cause pancreatitis which can be serious – sometimes even fatal.

“Pets, especially dogs, are skilled at sniffing out leftovers. Aluminium foil, plastic wrap, matches and kebab skewers can be dangerous, especially if they’re covered in grease or other food.”

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