Berkshire dog lovers are being warned against throwing sticks for their dogs this summer, following a near-fatal accident involving a one-year-old puppy.
English Bull Terrier Cross, Scooby, needed emergency treatment at the Portsmouth PDSA Pet Hospital after a stick he bit down on got stuck in the roof of his mouth.
“Scooby loves to jump and we were playing in the garden when he jumped up to snatch the stick and disaster happened,” says owner Louise.
“Blood started pouring from his mouth and began to pool on the floor. He didn’t even yelp or cry out in pain, he just went quiet and withdrawn. I scooped him up and took him inside straight away.”
Despite the bleeding stopping, Louise was still concerned for Scooby, so contacted the team at PDSA for help.
She was told to head to the Pet Hospital, where the team saw Scooby immediately.
After a thorough examination, Louise was told he had had a lucky escape and was able to go home with an anti-inflammatory pain relief injection and further medication.
“Chasing and playing with sticks might seem like lots of fun for your dog, but many owners are unaware of the horrible injuries they can cause,” says PDSA vet nurse Nina Downing.
“Sticks can impale your dog if they get lodged in the ground after being thrown or cause nasty cuts in the mouth and throat which can bleed a lot, as well as longer term problems from splinters.
“In the worst-case scenario, should a stick impale your dog, the injury could be fatal. It’s difficult to watch our dogs all the time but we should try to encourage them to play with pet friendly toys instead.”
For more advice from the PDSA on playing safely with your dogs, visit https://www.pdsa.org.uk/
