A French Bulldog is lucky to be alive after vets found two basketball-sized lumps in her stomach.

Owners Danny Short and Natalie Fordee from Dartford took Lola to the vet where it was discovered the growths weighing over 5kg were so big they were crushing her heart and lungs.

The couple first suspected something was wrong when the pooch ballooned in weight to 24kg.

An initial ultrasound soon picked up the two 23cm wide fatty lumps, known as a lipoma and was referred to Linnaeus-owned Southfields Veterinary Specialists in Basildon for treatment.

Specialist surgeon Carlos Rubinos removed the growths after a three-hour operation.

He said: “Lola’s case saw an unusually large lipoma inside her abdomen which, if allowed to grow further, would have worsened incontinence and potentially led to more significant problems in other organs.

“The surgery to remove the 5.3kg mass was a real success, thanks to a huge team effort, and thankfully Lola’s recovery was equally as smooth, so much.”

The pooch was discharged and sent home with her owners the next day.

Natalie said: “Lola was an excellent patient when she was recovering. She took her medications with no issues and will soon be back to her normal routine.

“She’s got a new lease of life now she’s 5.3kg lighter and doesn’t have the huge mass consuming her little body.

“We’d like to thank all the team for supporting us and Lola through what was quite a traumatic experience and making it as smooth as possible for us all.”