Pet owners urged to be cautious with deliveries after dog glues mouth together chewing parcel

Pet owners have been urged to keep an eye on their animals when receiving deliveries after a dog’s teeth became glued together while chewing on a parcel.

Emergency vets in Kirkcaldy had to spring into action to save Scottish Terrier Roxi after her saliva reacted with adhesive in the packaging, forming a cement-like paste which fused her jaw completely shut.

Worried owners Tam and Sharon Galloway had delicately tried to prise their pet’s mouth back open using a pair of chopsticks, and the blunt end of a knife, but neither worked.

Fearing they might lose ten-year-old Roxi, they rang their local Vets Now pet emergency clinic, where the team advised she be brought in immediately.

With no time to lose in case her breathing was impacted, senior vet Shannon Thorell and senior nurse Nicola Moffatt got to work.

Shannon and Nicola sedated Roxi and hooked her up to an intravenous catheter in case she had an adverse reaction to the drugs.

Then, once she was sleeping, they painstakingly scraped and pulled away at the immovable cardboard using specialist tools.

Eventually, the packaging and glue gave way and Shannon was able to get Roxi’s jaw back open.

The drama, which happened on Sunday night, finished shortly before midnight, when a woozy Roxi was well enough to go back with Tam and Sharon to their home in Glenrothes.

Tam said: “Roxi is part of our family. She’s our daughter Toni’s dog really but we all look after her so it was just awful to see her like that.

“You wouldn’t realise that a chewing a parcel could do so much damage to a dog – so it’s really important to get the message out there that it can be very dangerous, as we’ve discovered!

“We wouldn’t want any other dog owner to go through this – especially when everyone is going to be doing more online shopping this Christmas because of the restrictions.

“We’re just really relieved we got her in for treatment when we did.”

Vet Shannon said: “Roxi is a lovely little character and we’re so pleased she’s recovered so well.

“It’s not just parcel packaging that can have this effect on dogs. The same adhesive can be used in flyers, leaflets and the free magazines that sometimes come through the door.

“The adhesive reacts very, very quickly with a dog’s saliva and before you know it, their jaw is totally stuck together like Roxi’s.

“So dog owners please be wary when the postman or parcel courier calls – or you could end up in a very sticky situation like Tam and Sharon!”

The Vets Now clinic in Kirkcaldy — where Roxi received treatment — is one of a nationwide network of Vets Now clinics and pet emergency hospitals that are open through the night, seven-days-a-week, and day and night on weekends and bank holidays, to treat any pet emergencies that may occur.

All of Vets Now’s out-of-hours clinics and 24/7 hospitals have a vet and vet nurse on site at all times.

Vets Now also offer an online video consultation service to make professional veterinary advice more easily available.