A VETERINARY surgery in Chippenham has issued a warning after they saved a mischievous Labrador puppy’s life when he chewed through an inhaler.

Vets Now, based in Langley Road, was forced to treat nine-month-old Barkley, who lives with his owners Shirley and David Hitchcock in Marshfield, after he swiped the inhaler and poisoned himself one evening last month.

“I’ve always had Labradors and they tend to stay like puppies all their life, but Barkley is the most mischievous,” Mrs Hitchcock said. “He takes anything he can — plates, cutlery, you name it — because he knows we will chase him to get it. It’s all a big game to him.

“The inhaler was pushed to the back of the worktop and should have been well out of his reach, but he is such a big dog and stands on his front legs and pulls things towards him.

“I had gone out to feed my ponies and when I came back Barkley was rather tired. I thought the walk we’d had that morning had taken it out of him. A little later he didn’t look right and then he was sick all over our brand new carpet.

“I thought he’d recover after getting rid of whatever was making him ill, but he didn’t buck up and when he started to tremble I rang Vets Now and they told me to come in as quickly as possible.”

While waiting for treatment, the Hitchcocks spotted the chewed up inhaler and Vets Now acted quickly, putting him on a drip during the night and monitoring his condition.

Principal vet Elizabeth Sharples said: “When Barkley was admitted he was lethargic, tremoring and depressed. His heart was also racing at more than 200 beats per minute so we gave him medication to control the heart rate and monitored him with an ECG.

“Thankfully, he stabilised overnight with his heart rate steadily returning to normal. Barkley’s case is a reminder that inhalers and all other medicines should be kept well out of the way of dogs.” – particularly when you have super curious puppies like Barkley around.”