Late last month, when this little dog named Dandy began showing signs of being unwell, her family was naturally concerned. Dandy suddenly seemed to have trouble keeping down food and water.
“She was vomiting on and off for a little over a week,” Dandy’s
mom, Tori Shank, told The Dodo.
Shank, a radiology assistant at MedVet Akron in Ohio, decided to bring Dandy to the clinic for an examination.
An ultrasound revealed what looked like a tumor in Dandy's stomach — and Shank feared the worst.
“As soon as I saw it, I thought, ‘There’s a mass in there,’” Shank said. “The surgeon here told us that if we opened her, there would be nothing we could do about it.”
The possibility that Dandy had a tumor broke her family’s heart. They feared the 7-year-old pup might be nearing the end.
But they were wrong.
Instead of performing invasive surgery, the clinic used an endoscope to get a closer look at the apparent “growth.” That’s when they discovered what it really was.
“It was a whole yellow potato,” Shank said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I mean, I was so happy. It was the best news possible. I was thrilled. We were all cheering, but that potato had to have probably been in her stomach for at least two weeks.”
Shank remembers having potatoes in the house, but doesn’t recall Dandy getting hold of one. Either way, the potato was gently removed.
“Afterward, she perked right back up,” Shank said. “She had a little bit of irritation to her throat for a couple of days after, but she's been perfectly fine since.”
To commemorate the now-infamous potato incident, Shank picked out the perfect Halloween costume for Dandy:
With any luck, Dandy has learned not to bite off more than she can chew. After that scare, meanwhile, Shank will be holding on to her a little tighter.
