Vets had to operate to remove the chain from 18-week-old Harley, owned by, Michael Alderson, 54, and wife Devina, 53, of Cambridge.

Mrs Alderson said they only realised Harley had gulped down the chain when they could not find it.

"I saw her chewing it but I didn't think anything of it," she said.

I think she may have a metal fetish because she tried to eat the scissors when she was being looked at Vet Monique Strange

"Then I suddenly realised it wasn't there and I said to my husband 'I think she's swallowed it' ."

He told her not to be silly but the couple took the dog to the vet.

"Sure enough, she had swallowed it and they had to operate.

"Luckily it was still in her stomach. If it had gone into her digestive system, it could have done a lot of damage."

Vet Monique Strange, who runs the Companion Care surgery with husband Malcolm Rose in Cambridge, said: "I've heard of dogs swallowing some strange things but never a choke chain.

Chain binned

"I think she may have a metal fetish because she tried to eat the scissors when she was being looked at."

Mrs Strange said she had warned the Aldersons about it because Harley could test his taste buds with metal again.

Mrs Alderson said Harley was making a good recovery - and the chain was in the bin.