Grieving Brighton dog eats comfort blanket

Image caption, Cassie began to chew on the blanket following the death of one of her owners

A dog had to undergo life-saving surgery after eating her own comfort blanket following the death of one of her owners in Brighton.

Cassie, a seven-year-old Dalmatian, became seriously ill after eating 1.3lb (0.6kg) of the material.

Vets carried out emergency surgery to remove the blanket and she is now making a full recovery.

Her owner, Frances York, said the dog began to chew on her blanket following the death of her husband in August.

'Anxious behaviour'

She said: "Cassie always used to chew on her blanket occasionally, especially if she was left alone.

"But I noticed this became much worse after my husband died and I was told this could be a sign of grief or stress."

Rebecca Thring, of the Brighton PDSA veterinary charity, said: "Eating strange objects is just one example of anxious behaviour that can be caused by separation."