A mischief-making dog managed to superglue her mouth shut – then was saved by a quick-thinking vet who used olive oil and a toothbrush to get the glue off.
Little Brie, an 18-month-old French bulldog, decided to chew on a tube of super glue which her owner Louise Welby thought was safely out of reach.
Within seconds, the glue began to take hold. First Brie’s tongue began sticking to the roof of her mouth, then her whole jaw became stuck together.
With a frantic Brie getting more and more distressed and struggling to breathe, Louise, of Billericay, Essex, feared Brie might die.
Louise rushed Brie to pet emergency service Vets Now in nearby Witham, where principal vet Monica Guzman had the brain wave of using olive oil to remove the glue.
Monica said: “When she arrived in the clinic Brie was panting heavily and very distressed.
“She was so upset it wasn’t possible to check her over so we agreed with Louise to sedate her.
“The inside and outside of Brie’s mouth and lips, as well as her teeth and tongue, were absolutely covered in dry glue.
“We used a tooth brush and swabs steeped in olive oil to slowly remove it. It took a lot of scrubbing but we eventually managed to get rid of it all.
“By the time Brie came around she was much happier and able to go home.”
Service delivery manager Louise, who lives with partner Kim, 29, said: “We’d just moved house and everything was a bit chaotic.
“I’d got the glue out to fix Brie’s favourite toy, which is a golden ball which had split in half.
“I put the glue on top of a cabinet thinking it would be safe.
“But we’d just had a sofa delivered which we propped up against the cabinet.
“Brie basically used the sofa as a trampoline and jumped up and got the glue.
“She only had it a few seconds – but still managed to get her mouth stuck.
“It was really frightening seeing her struggling to breathe like that.”
Monica added: “Super glue is not a poisonous substance but it is very dangerous for dogs.
“As Brie’s case shows chewing on a tube of super glue can cause the mouth to seal shut as it hardens when it comes into contact with saliva.
“If you your dog has eaten super glue you should seek urgent veterinary advice.
“Do not use solvents to try to remove it yourself as this may cause more problems than the glue itself.”
