A dog has made a full recovery after having a 3-inch sewing needle removed from his neck following an innovative operation.

After hearing of the symptoms, a vet in Beauly, near Inverness in the UK, suggested Toby may be suffering from a brain tumour and ordered an X-ray.

The scan revealed that Toby had a sewing needle, complete with thread, lodged in his neck. The X-ray showed that the needle was piercing his spinal cord and dangerously close to his brain.

Toby was then referred to specialists at the University of Edinburgh’s Hospital for Small Animals at the Royal (Dick) School for Veterinary Studies for further treatment.

Vets were then able to remove the needle using a special technique, meaning they were able to take the object out without the need for an invasive operation. The surgery included the use of specialist X-ray equipment to view the needle in real-time.

Toby is now fully recovered and walking and running as normal after the needle was carefully extracted last August.

“We feel that without the help of the experts in Edinburgh, Toby would not be here today,” Toby’s owner, Alexander Jamieson, said.

“The care and attention he got were out of this world and we are delighted to see him back to his old self.”

Samantha Woods and Jessica McCarthy from the Hospital for Small Animals described their relief that the dog was able to stage a full recovery.

“We are really pleased to see Toby back to full health, thanks to the combined efforts of his vets and our specialist teams here in Edinburgh,” Woods said in a statement.

Vets are still unsure as to how Toby managed to get the needle in his neck. They suspect he either ate it or accidentally lay his head on it.

The Royal (Dick) School for Veterinary Studies is one of the oldest veterinary schools in the world having been founded in 1823 by Professor William Dick, with the Hospital for Small Animals opening in 1999.