Ham, a two-year-old Pug cross, had always been full of energy, barking and getting excited over the smallest things.

But recently, her mom, Victoria Northwood, noticed something wasn’t quite right. Her usually lively pup seemed a bit off.

Concerned for her furry companion’s health, Victoria called the vet. Though the doctor didn’t believe it was anything serious, he still advised bringing Ham in, just to be safe.

What happened next was something neither Victoria nor the vet could have anticipated.

Complete Surprise

When Victoria brought Ham to the Newtone Clarke Veterinary Surgery, the vet quickly performed an X-ray. At first, he noticed something unusual in her stomach, but he couldn’t quite figure out what it was just yet.

Although the vet had a hunch after taking another look, he chose to keep quiet to avoid worrying Victoria unnecessarily.

However, he did decide that Ham needed surgery and quickly entrusted her to his colleague, Emily Whitby, a skilled veterinary surgeon.

Once the operation was completed successfully, Emily returned with some startling news. According to the BBC, she revealed that they had removed “around 50 to 60 hairbands in total” from Ham’s stomach. 

While that was already shocking, another detail made the situation even more unbelievable. NCVS shared on their Facebook post that the hairbands removed from Ham’s stomach weighed nearly 7 ounces.

Given that Ham herself weighs only about 2 pounds, it’s astonishing she could function with so much “material” inside her.

Ham’s mom, Victoria, was beyond relieved that the surgery went well, but she still couldn’t believe everything that had unfolded so quickly.

“We knew she had eaten a hairband or two, as we had seen them pass through before, but nothing could have prepared us for the sheer amount they found,” Victoria shared with the BBC.

Back to Her Playful Antics

Ham didn’t have to stay in the clinic for long, as the doctors soon allowed her to continue recovering at home.

In a Facebook post, NCVS shared that Ham is on the mend, noting that “she’s already back to her mischievous ways at home (hopefully, no longer on the lookout for hairbands!).”

Victoria, Ham’s mom, was overjoyed with the happy ending but also determined to prevent this from ever happening again.

“We were absolutely shocked that something like this could happen. We’re incredibly thankful to the vets for being so attentive and for trusting our instinct when we felt something was wrong,” Victoria said. “We’re keeping a much closer watch on her now, and it’s such a relief to know she’s okay.”