A mucky pup needed an emergency trip to the vets after getting his toes trapped in the plughole in a freak accident while having a bath.
Teddy, a pampered pooch from Bridgend, had just been bathed after rolling in mud in the back garden at the home of owner Kristi Haines when he slipped and his toes became wedged into the metal cover over the plughole.
Kristi rang the fire brigade for help after being unable to pull Teddy’s toes out. After the side panel of the bath was removed, firemen managed to push the plug cover out of the hole – but Teddy’s tootsies were still firmly attached. 
Kristi rushed the one-year-old pure white Bichon Frise cross Jack Russell to Maes Glas Vets in Bridgend, which has its own 24-hour emergency service, and their veterinary team managed to free his toes from the metal cover.
Teddy had to be sedated and it took vet Caitlin Owen, assisted by veterinary nurse Rachel Cawley and animal care assistant Melody Galliers, three hours to patiently prise his toes out in a delicate procedure, carefully using metal cutters to expand the size of the holes because his toes had swollen up.
Finally they managed to release Teddy, who had a precautionary x-ray to ensure he hadn’t broken his toes, which were then bandaged due to slight cuts.
Caitlin, who qualified as a vet a year ago, said: “I’d never seen anything like this before and this is definitely the most unusual case I’ve ever seen. It took a long time so we didn’t hurt him or damage his toe, but he was very sweet and very well behaved. The plughole cover was wedged over his joints and his toes had swollen up so very sore and difficult to remove. We had to use metal cutters to make the hole bigger to get his toes back through.”
Teddy return to the practice in Church Acre, Brackla, Bridgend, two days later to have his bandage removed.
Kristi said: “It had been raining and Teddy had been in the garden rolling in the mud, so needed a bath. He’s very pampered and loves a bath followed by a brush and blow dry. While I was rubbing his tummy to make sure the shampoo was off, he slipped backwards, which he’s never done before, and his foot went into the plughole. He was so frightened and sat shaking with a towel around him while we tried to get him released, and our band new bath had to be taken apart.
“The vets wee amazing and did so well to remove the metal cover. You would think nothing had ever happened as he is back to jumping on the sofa and running around the garden.”
