A dog owner forked out £1,200 in vet bills after his pet Terrier ate 24 rubber gloves.

Michael Fletcher, 54, took his dog Ruby to the vets after she coughed up eight surgical gloves before going off her food.

Having undergone an emergency operation, a huge mass was revealed in Ruby's stomach - which transpired to be a clump of 16 rubber gloves.

Mr Fletcher later discovered the pooch had eaten a box of the disposable gloves he keeps in the back of his car for when he visits his allotment.

While Ruby has since made a full recover, Mr Fletcher, from York, has been left with a £1,200 vet's bill.

Mr Fletcher used the gloves for tending to his allotment Credit: SWNS

I was shocked at how she'd even managed to swallow one, never mind 24 of them as she's such a tiny dog. Sarah, 25, Mr Fletcher's daughter

"The back of my car had some rubber gloves in that I use for work", Mr Fletcher said.

"While taking her in the car to go on a walk it turned out she'd eaten half the box.

"If they didn't operate, she would have died".

Ruby was uninsured.