July 2008 - Bonnie Hearne
Bonnie Hearne and chasing sticks
A lesson in why not to throw sticks for your dog!
Bonnie is a 3 year old female Labrador Retriever who came to us with a sore mouth. She had been playing in the park with a stick when she suddenly yelped and came back to her owners looking very upset. We could see blood coming from under her tongue but a proper examination of Bonnie’s mouth would require a general anaesthetic.
Once Bonnie was asleep, careful examination of her mouth revealed a large tear to the bottom of her tongue which would require stitching. The wound was carefully stitched back together using dissolving stitches so they wouldn’t have to be removed later and they are also soft so they would be more comfortable for her. Bonnie recovered well from her operation and her mouth is healing well.
Fatal consequences
Bonnie was very lucky; stick injuries are unfortunately all too common in dogs and can be much more serious than Bonnie’s case. There are lots of important structures in and around the mouth including the throat and wind pipe and even the eye which can be severely damaged if they are penetrated by a stick, as well as some vital blood vessels and nerves. Unfortunately complications of stick injuries are not always immediately obvious either, splinters of fragments of the stick can migrate through the body and they often carry bacteria which can cause abscesses. In very worst cases they can even kill dogs.
We strongly advise against throwing sticks for you dogs to prevent these injuries and recommend you use alternatives such a ball or rubber toy that are just as exciting.
