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MSPCA: Salem Dog Recovering After Eating 3 Wristwatches

BOSTON (CBS) – A Salem dog is on the mend after eating three wristwatches last week.

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Mocha. (Photo by Michelle Parkinson)

After her owners found watch pieces on the floor of their home, Mocha was rushed to the emergency room at Angell Animal Medical Center April 16, according to a MSPCA statement.

Doctors did a three-hour endoscopic procedure so they could determine how many parts were in the 5-year-old Doberman's stomach and how they could remove them.

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Leather pieces removed from Mocha the dog. (Photo by MSPCA-Angell)

They were able to remove some of the leather and then took a wait-and-see approach with the remaining parts.

"We basically allowed nature to take its course and, over a period of several days, Mocha eliminated another pound of broken leather straps, buckles and various other metal pieces," says Dr. Zachary Crouse.

"We were especially cautious and wanted to avoid surgery—given her history."

She stayed at the medical center for two days.

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Mocha the dog. (Photo by MSPCA-Angell)

Mocha also made an August 2014 trip to the medical center after swallowing a plastic juice container lid. She ended up needing surgery to clear the intestinal blockage.

Mocha's owners, Michele Parkinson and Jeff Courcelle of Salem, Mass., took no chances with the health of their pet.

"We brought her to Angell as soon as my husband saw the broken watch pieces, even though she was showing no symptoms whatsoever," said Michele, a nurse in the hematology department of an area hospital.

"I was extremely concerned that she would need another surgery—and worried about the long-term impact such a procedure could have, given that she'd already had a foreign body surgically removed not even one year ago. Fortunately, she was able to pass most of the material on her own."

The dog returned to the medical center on Monday for a follow-up appointment.

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Mocha's x-ray revealed watch pieces in an April 20 follow-up appointment. (Photo by MSPCA-Angell)

An x-ray revealed several pieces that should be able to be passed without surgery.

"Mocha dodged a bullet for sure and I credit her owners for getting her straight to the hospital," Crouse says.

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Mocha the dog at home. (Photo by MSPCA-Angell)

"This could easily have turned into a life-threatening situation if they had delayed."
The Doberman will continue her recovery at home.

"One thing's for sure: we're going to do everything we can to keep anything remotely ingestible out of her reach," Michele says.

"It'll be a challenge, but one that we are committed to!"

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