Pets at Home has launched an investigation into the products it uses on dogs after a West Highland terrier suffered an allergic reaction to grooming treatment at a store in Stoke-on-Trent.

Pet owner Terry Maughan was shocked to see his dog Snowbell struggling to breathe and unable to open her eyes after the £36 treatment. He rushed the animal to the vets where they discovered she had suffered an allergic reaction to the shampoo.

Snowbell fell ill an hour after having a shampoo, wash and haircut at the Groom Rooms salon based at Pets at Home in Festival Park, Stoke-on-Trent. The family were landed with a £102 vet's bill.

A spokesperson for Pets at Home  said: "Our Groom Room colleagues are all highly trained and use only specifically formulated products which have a history of use in pet grooming.

"When washing dogs, great care is taken to avoid shampoo coming into contact with a dog's eyes.

"This was certainly the case with Snowbell so we were very surprised to learn of her reaction.

"The products used with Snowbell are common to all 179 Groom Rooms around the country and we have seen no other cases of dogs being affected in this way."