Vet scanning Chihuahua's fractured leg stunned to find 18k gold necklace show up in X-ray
The story didn't end with the necklace; a second X-ray revealed another surprise
Dogs will often eat almost anything when left unsupervised, but one stray Chihuahua mix in Florida shocked veterinarians after swallowing an entire gold necklace. On May 7, 2026, Edward arrived at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay with a painful limp, and an X-ray revealed jewelry scattered through his body, including an 18-karat gold star necklace lodged deep in his colon. According to the shelter’s May 13 Facebook post, doctors decided to closely monitor the five-year-old dog and let the necklace take the “southbound route” naturally.
The tale of pup who ate the necklace
To ensure the dog’s safety, they also conducted full-body X-rays and were left stunned to find a second metallic object in his stomach. At this point, he was rushed into the emergency room for an abdominal surgery to remove the necklace. “The object in his colon was expected to pass safely on its own, but the one in his stomach posed a life‑threatening risk if it moved into his intestines,” Nash McCutchen, the shelter’s director of marketing and design, described to Newsweek. The vet team performed the surgery, with multiple tooth extractions. The injured dog may still have to remain amputated for life.
A whole trove of jewelry
The second object, the vets said, would have to wait a bit more inside his body. The dog wouldn’t have survived both the abdominal surgery and a leg amputation at the same time. “We are currently waiting for his blood levels to regenerate before moving forward with the amputation surgery. Despite the fracture, Edward is comfortable, pain‑free, and able to move around,” McCutchen said.
Edward’s body is still recuperating, under close supervision. As he suffers from anaemia, his body’s ability to carry oxygen is greatly reduced. Meanwhile, he remains in good spirits, enjoys going on walks, eating well, and preparing for the next stage of treatment.
Dogs will eat anything, literally
Edward’s case is probably the best example of what Rover.com suggested in a report. According to the report, 73% of the dogs exhibit “pica,” a compulsion to eat non-food items, including paper (43%), toilet paper rolls (36%), toys (32%), plants (27%), cushions (13%), and stones (13%). A 2005 survey of 900 dog owners, published in the Pets journal, also showed that 52% of dog owners said that choosing the right food is the hardest part of pet ownership. Nearly 25% feel overwhelmed with the choices available.
Meanwhile, people are whipping up jokes on the shelter’s Facebook post, that Edward already paid for his own surgery with the jewels. Robert Swingle said, “Now you can sell it to pay for the surgery. Kinda like a freebie.” Maryann Dail asked, “Did the necklace lead to the dog's original owner?” Whether or not the owner has been found, the shelter hasn't updated as of now.
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