Trevor blew up to three times his size – after its windpipe was punctured (Photo: cascadenews.co.uk)

A sausage dog expanded to three times its size after suffering a punctured windpipe.

Four-year-old dachshund Trevor’s body filled with gas after the leak.

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Vets in Warrington, Cheshire, hurried to stitch the hole up.

Trevor’s owner Fran Jennings, 49, said: ‘Basically, we came down one day and found Trevor in a bad state, he literally looked like he’d blown up like a balloon and we had no idea what had happened.


‘He was three times the size he should’ve been. We put him straight in the car and took him to the 24-hour emergency vets and they had never seen anything quite like it.’

Vets had to stitch up the hole to deflate Trevor and stop his body filling with air (Photo: Willows Veterinary Group / cascadenews.co.uk)

Fran’s daughter Jessica said: ‘When I saw Trevor, he looked like a big fat seal, his whole body was like a blob and you couldn’t tell his face from his neck.’



Fran, who has three children, said she had no idea what caused the injury.

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‘Whatever it was, it affected his breathing so we had to leave him there while they tried to find out what was wrong.’

Michelle Coward, of Beech House surgery, treated the dog.

She said: ‘Trevor was presented to us with signs of severe air ingress under the skin. There were no external injuries that would explain how air had got under the skin, so we suspected that an internal injury to the airway or oesophagus could have been allowing the air to leak into the body.

‘Every time he took a breath, some of the inhaled air escaped through a hole in his windpipe around the muscles and fatty tissue under the skin, and X-rays showed the emphysema was worsening.

Dramatic X-rays show the damage the injury caused the poor dog (Photo: Willows Veterinary Group/cascadenews.co.uk)

‘Surgery was the only way to repair the injury but due to its location, there was a significant risk of complications.

‘I have never seen a case like this before and it was a new surgery for me.

‘Trevor’s surgery went well, he made a quick recovery and was monitored in the hospital.

‘When he came back for his check-ups following the surgery he was very bouncy and happy. He’s a great character and everybody loves him. He was a pleasure to nurse.

‘It was certainly an interesting case and one that is unusual as far as I understand.

‘There should not be any long-term impact to Trevor’s health.’

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