Innocent game of ‘fetch’ led to dog needing op
STAFFY HAD PIECE OF A STICK LODGED UNDER HIS TONGUE
A STAFFORDSHIRE bull terrier needed emergency surgery after a stick pierced his mouth during a game of fetch.
Vets found a one-inch piece of stick lodged under his tongue. It had to be removed in an intricate operation at the PDSA in Nottingham.
Thanks to the charity’s vets, oneyear-old Staffy Dre is back home and will be fully recovered in time for Christmas.
Owner Danielle Knight, 34, of Suttonin-ashfield, was walking her dog when she heard him yelp loudly.
She said: “I rushed over to him and I was shocked to see blood coming from his mouth but thankfully the bleeding soon stopped and he seemed OK and we went home.”
But the following morning she was told to take him to Nottingham PDSA straight away after noticing more blood and that his tongue and neck had become extremely swollen. The dog, who was in a lot of pain, was admitted so he could be fully examined, scanned and X-rayed.
PDSA vet Suzy Shuttleworth said: “Once Dre had been given painkillers and put under anaesthetic, we discovered a large area of swelling under his jaw and a hole under his tongue. We were shocked to discover a one-inch piece of stick lodged under his tongue.”
After a nervous wait for Dre’s owner, the procedure was declared successful and the stick was removed. Dre was able to go home under close monitoring.
Now PDSA vets are warning that the accident underlines how dangerous throwing sticks for dogs can be. The charity sees stick-related injuries at its 48 pet hospitals regularly, and is encouraging people to avoid throwing sticks.
One not so lucky dog and owner was respiratory nurse Kate Warman, who was left “heartbroken” when her dog was put down after being impaled by a stick.
Playing with, or even just chewing, sticks can lead to wounds in the mouth and throat, sticks getting lodged in the mouth, choke hazards or intestinal blockages.
Ms Shuttleworth added: “We love to see people exercising their pets, but we’d encourage pet owners to use safer alternatives to sticks which you can buy from most supermarkets or pet shops.”
Ms Knight said: “When the vets called to let us know Dre was OK, our whole family breathed a huge sigh of relief. But we were stunned to discover the stick from an innocent game of fetch had caused so much damage to poor Dre without us realising.
“We had been extremely anxious and emotional about Dre going through surgery, but thankfully after he’d recovered, we were able to collect him from the pet hospital. We were so pleased to have him home and recovered for Christmas and it’s thanks to PDSA.
“I’d encourage all pet owners to keep sticks well away from pets to avoid injuries. Had it not been for PDSA, we could have lost Dre. We had only adopted him this year and would have struggled to afford the cost of surgery, but thankfully, we were eligible for PDSA’S services. We cannot thank the team at Nottingham PDSA enough.”
■■A pioneering Pet Wellbeing Centre is now being built in Nottingham. Find out more at pdsa.org.uk/get-involved/ our-campaigns/nottingham-pd