LAMPSHADES, dummies, tennis balls and a whole corn on the cob.

These are just a few of the unlikely objects removed from dogs' insides in the North-East, according to the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA).

The charity, which relies solely on donations, has warned owners of the danger animals can face by swallowing foreign bodies.

It has cited the case of four-year-old Sacha, a patient at its Sunderland centre.

Sacha has been admitted for treatment four times in the past two years after swallowing half a tennis ball, half a rubber ball and any number of stones.

The last time she was rushed to the centre, in Kings Road, Fulwell, she underwent an operation to remove a number of items from her stomach, after vet Feargal Henry recognised symptoms including vomiting and dehydration.

He said: "She has a compulsive habit she cannot break. And we cannot keep operating on Sacha as there is a higher risk of complications each time."

Owner Angela Smith said yesterday: "I really have to watch her. She tends to pick things up and swallow them while she is out on a walk.

"She has worn a muzzle, but somehow manages to flick stones in the air and still eat them."

Hannah Sutcliffe, of the PDSA, said: "It is best to be extra-observant, and never give dogs access to household rubbish or anything they may be tempted to eat.