A PUPPY who suffered more than 200 wasp stings when he fell into a nest has stunned vets by making a miraculous recovery.
Four vets from the Okeford Veterinary Practice in Okehampton spent an hour removing the stings from Miniature Schnauzer 'Bruno' after his daily walk with his owner Anne Searson turned into a nightmare.
Vet Philip Davies said he had never seen anything like it in his 18 years in the profession: 'This is quite a remarkable little dog — there was virtually no swelling,' he said.
'If it had been a person they would have blown up like a balloon.'
Mrs Searson from Chagford had been wading across the River Teign with her five-week-old son Alexander in a sling and Bruno bringing up the rear, when suddenly he disappeared.
'It was then that I heard this awful squealing sound and I thought Bruno had been caught in a trap or something,' she said.
'He was covered with wasps — I could barely see his fur.'
Unable to get near Bruno because of her baby, Mrs Searson said she was 'absolutely terrified.'
She started running to the nearest farm when she saw two walkers — who turned out to be owners of the nearby Easton Court Hotel Debra and Paul Witting — and asked for help.
Mr Witting dragged the dog into the river and wrapped him in his coat before flagging down a car and heading for Chagford vets while his wife was left holding the baby.
'The couple were strangers to me but I knew I could leave Alexander with Mrs Witting because they had both been so wonderful,' said Mrs Searson.
'Bruno was given some adrenaline and antihistamines and we were asked to take him to the vets at Okehampton — he was unconscious by then and each breath he took I thought would be his last.'
The thought of him dying was heartbreaking for his owner who lost her first puppy, Bruno's brother Pepe, a year ago due to heart condition.
'I was sure he would not make it and I did not know what I was going to tell my four children,' she added. 'The vets were remarkable — I was told I had the 'A' team working on Bruno and they were absolutely right.'
Mrs Searson said fate played a big part that day. 'We walk that route most mornings but I don't usually see anyone else,' she said.
'I am just so grateful to everyone from the Wittings to the nurse at Chagford who is actually allergic to wasps, and all the vets.'
Bruno was still yellow when he reached the surgery with wasps also inside his mouth and ears.
Vet Philip Davies said it was touch and go for 24 hours.
'He was a very sick dog but what a fighter — I was amazed he pulled through,' he said. 'I have suffered 12 wasp stings at once in the past and felt extremely ill, goodness knows what in excess of 200 must have felt like.'
Two weeks after his ordeal Bruno is back to full health. Maybe it is not just cats that have nine lives!