A rescue dog from Bosnia who loves to swallow tennis balls has undergone surgery to remove the latest foreign object.

Three-year-old Trickster, a mix breed who now lives with her owners Alice Toby-Brant and Chris Toby in Longstanton, was treated at Linnaeus-owned DWR Veterinary Specialists in Six Mile Bottom, after she snaffled the discarded tennis ball while out on a walk.

Trickster has always had a penchant for chewing small balls, although thankfully she doesn’t always swallow them.

It is believed this may be related to steroids she is on for an autoimmune disease, with the medication making her feel hungry, although this is not certain.

The first time Trickster swallowed a tennis ball she was taken to an emergency vet, who gave her medication to make her sick in the hope she could bring it back up.

However, when this didn’t work, she was referred to DWR, where an endoscopy procedure was performed to retrieve it.

This involved passing a telescopic camera down her food pipe (oesophagus) and into her stomach where the tennis ball, which was split open down the middle, could be grasped and removed via her mouth.

The Hunts Post: Trickster has had two tennis balls removed at DWR Veterinary Specialists.Trickster has had two tennis balls removed at DWR Veterinary Specialists. (Image: R Comms)

When Trickster swallowed a tennis ball a second time, it was not possible to remove it in the same way because it remained in one piece and could not be easily grasped as it sat in the stomach.

Instead, Trickster needed to have an operation by the specialist surgeons at DWR who opened her abdomen and manipulated the stomach to push the ball into the teeth of the forceps to allow it to be retrieved.

Alice had spent many hours training Trickster to stop chewing tennis balls since she came to live with her as a six-month-old puppy.

“Nearly all the times that Trickster picks up a ball, she will drop it - but on two occasions, she’s didn't.

“We cannot confirm it’s due to medication, and she’s now on a very low dose, with the hope she will be able to come off it altogether, as she’s not had relapses for several years.

“However, since the operation, we’ve kept a muzzle on while she’s off the lead.”