Abu Dhabi: A dog suffered for a month with a 5-centimetre stingray barb stuck in its throat.
Max, 9 years old, was with his owners on a beach in Dubai when he came upon a dead stingray.
The dog, a cross between a German shepherd and a Saluki, began eating the stingray, said Dr Jonathan Hale, veterinary surgeon at the British Veterinary Clinic in Abu Dhabi.
Shortly after eating the stingray, Max began to howl continuously. He was taken to a clinic where he was given antibiotics.
When the dog did not respond to the treatment, an X-ray was taken and the barb was detected near the third vertebra of Max's spinal column.
"The barb was first stuck in Max's throat, and during the month, it moved about 15 centimetres until it reached the third spinal vertebra where it got stuck," said Dr Hale, who performed the surgery to remove the barb.
He added that the 'extremely sharp' barb caused a severe infection in Max's body and "could have killed him". Max will spend a few more days recovering at the clinic before he goes home to his owners.
