Dr. Rick Snook, a veterinarian with the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society, gives Honey, a hug after examining her Tuesday, March 15, 2016, at the shelter’s Thaw Animal Hospital in Santa Fe, N.M. Photo by Ben Swan/The Santa Fe Animal Shelter. A 6-inch, 2-inch wide stuffed polar bear, shown Tuesday, March 15, 2016, at the Santa Fe animal shelter’s Thaw Animal Hospital in Santa Fe, N.M, was lodged in a dog’s intestine after she ingested it a week or so ago. The dog, Honey, a Dogue de Bordeaux, has recovered from the surgery on Monday, March 14, 2016. The dog would have died without the surgery. Photo by Ben Swan/The Santa Fe Animal Shelter. Dr. Rick Snook, a veterinarian with the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society, gives Honey, a Dogue de Bordeaux, a pat after examining her Tuesday, March 15, 2016, at the shelter’s Thaw Animal Hospital. The dog swallowed a 6-inch stuffed toy that was lodged in her intestine and was successfully removed following surgery on Monday, March 14, 2016. The dog would have died without the surgery. Photo by Ben Swan/The Santa Fe Animal Shelter. A 6-inch, 2-inch wide stuffed polar bear, shown Monday, March 15, 2016, at the Santa Fe animal shelter’s Thaw Animal Hospital in Santa Fe, N.M, was lodged in a dog’s intestine after she ingested it a week or so ago. The dog, Honey, a Dogue de Bordeaux, has recovered from the surgery. The dog would have died without the surgery. Photo by Ben Swan/The Santa Fe Animal Shelter. Honey, a Dogue de Bordeaux, recovers Monday, March 14, 2016, at the Santa Fe animal shelter’s Thaw Animal Hospital in Santa Fe, N.M. after a stuffed polar bear was removed from her intestines. Photo by Ben Swan/The Santa Fe Animal Shelter. Dr. Rick Snook, a veterinarian with the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society, gives Honey, a Dogue de Bordeaux, a hug after examining her Tuesday, March 15, 2016, at the shelter’s Thaw Animal Hospital. The dog swallowed a 6-inch stuffed toy that was lodged in her intestine and was successfully removed following surgery on Monday, March 14, 2016. The dog would have died without the surgery. Photo by Ben Swan/The Santa Fe Animal Shelter. A veterinarian helped save the life of an ailing New Mexico dog after discovering the source of the pup's pain — a 6-inch long, 2-inch wide stuffed polar bear.
Santa Fe Animal Humane officials say hat the bear was discovered in the dog's stomach during surgery. The stuffed toy, which they initially thought was a teddy bear, still had a bow tied to it.
A veterinarian said the dog named "Honey" had been vomiting for about a week and was near death.
The dog is now expected to survive and went home on Tuesday.
In a statement on their Facebook page the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society stated: "We're so happy we were able to help her out - a couple more days and she would not have made it."