Playing Fetch With Sticks May Be Dangerous For Your Dog | Dogalize
Throwing a stick is one of life’s great pleasures for an excitable dog, but experts say that we should take into account the risk of your pet suffering a serious or even fatal injury. In fact, penetrative wounds due to the sticks are not so rare.
“Vets see some very serious, life-threatening and, in some cases, fatal injuries which have happened after a dog has chased a stick,” says Sean Wensley, president of the BVA (British Veterinary Associations). There are two types of problems, he says: “One is where a stick is thrown and it lands in the ground like a javelin, pointing out. The dog chasing after it can’t stop in time and runs on to the stick – we get some nasty penetrative wounds in the mouth, neck and sometimes the spinal cord, causing paralysis. Sometimes it punctures a major blood vessel and causes fatal blood loss. Then there are cases where fragments of stick get lodged in the mouth and throat. Because the wood itself is dirty, and the mouth is full of bacteria, it can set up a serious infection.”
Exercising and play is hugely beneficial for dogs and their owners, he says, but toys such as those made from rubber, or Frisbees, should be used instead of sticks.
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Source: theguardian
Photo: 3milliondogs