Labrador saved by Animal Emergency Service after eating a chicken skewer

This pet owner is warning others to keep a careful eye on their pets after her mischievous dog raided a rubbish bin — leading to 24 days in a Gold Coast vet clinic and a $30,000 bill.

Margaret-Jane is the Gold Coast’s miracle dog.

Not only did she survive a brush with cancer early last year, but the plucky labrador also came through after spending 24 days at the Animal Emergency Service vet clinic in Carrara after devouring a chicken skewer last month.

A team of specialist vets were forced to perform emergency operations and prescribe drugs that could only be found at Sea World to the seven-year-old dog in order to save her life.

Her owner, Tania Hannaford, said MJ had raided an outside rubbish bin to find her spoils before quickly becoming sick.

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Margaret-Jane the Labrador has been at animal Emergency Service for more than 20 days after she ate a chicken skewer and had to come all the way up from Byron Bay for specialist care. Picture Glenn Hampson

Despite taking her to two separate vets in Ballina and Lennox Head to get her looked, the Suffolk Park resident was told it wasn’t due to the skewer.

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But when MJ didn’t improve under their care, Ms Hannaford took her to AES where she stayed for nearly a month.

MJ with the team from the Animal Emergency Service that saved her. Picture Glenn Hampson

“She was pretty much dying and they raced her inside,” Ms Hannaford said on the day of her admission, adding AES found the skewer after taking a CT scan of her. Items such as skewers do not show up on X-rays.

“She couldn’t breathe, was suffocating. Within five minutes they told me she had two litres of fluid around her lungs. And later found the chicken skewer.”

One of her treating vets, internal medicine specialist Dr Ninette Keller said the skewer had punctured her throat, pierced through her colon and lodged in a main artery in her abdomen.

“It was still lodged in there and we ended up doing a very tricky surgery,” she said.

“It was the only time I’ve seen my surgeon stressed, they had to quickly get the skewer out and suture it — there was a lot of blood.”

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Margaret-Jane the Labrador can now rest up at home. Picture Glenn Hampson

Dr Keller said there were also bacteria in her chest which was very resistant to antibiotics.

In the end only one drug — which was kindly donated by Sea World and worth up to $800 per bottle — could get her infection under control.

She said MJ was lucky to have survived the infection but now had a heart condition after being seen to by a cardiologist.

“It’s been a pretty big team effort, there’s absolutely no way we would have gotten her through without specialist treatment,” she said.

“I think she’s used up her nine lives … she was so critical the day we got her. I think she’s lucky the skewer didn’t dislodge, it was just so stuck in her organs.”

MJ is a lucky pup. Picture Glenn Hampson

During her stay, MJ has been seen to by Dr Keller, the internal medicine specialist, a surgeon, a cardiologist and a host of critical care nurses.

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She was allowed to return home three times, only to return each time the following day close to death.

“(Last) Tuesday she had a massive fit and was unresponsive by the time we got her here,” Ms Hannaford said.

“I’ve been driving up everyday (from Byron Bay) to see her. Five times she’s been close to death.”

Ms Hannaford and her husband have shelled out more than $30,000 in surgery, vet care and medication since MJ became sick.

She warned other pet owners to be vigilant when it came to leaving chicken skewers in the bin, saying she would be placing any used skewers into a bottle from now on.