40-woof? Dog has emergency surgery after swallowing tennis ball

A two-year-old husky-cross has had to undergo emergency surgery after really getting into the Wimbledon spirit and swallowing a tennis ball.

The round shape was spotted on an X-ray a week after the poorly pooch stopped eating and became sick and very lethargic.

Owner Anna Dziedzic took Pax to PDSA in Brighton to seek the opinion of an expert, and it was decided that life-or-death surgery was needed.

"I was in the park with Pax and my other dog Pixie, a Jack Russell, and the dogs were happily playing with their favourite toys, tennis balls, like usual. Pax loves throwing a ball into the air and then catching it; it's something he's always done since he was a puppy," said Anna.

However, when it was time to leave Pax did not have his ball, and owner Anna thought that he had lost it.

While tennis balls are a staple play-thing of dogs around the world, it appears that their catching is as good as the Australian cricket team. PDSA says that it treats around 100 ball-related injuries every year, from broken teeth to eye problems.