Public Service Announcement: Playing Fetch Could Cost You $3000
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An e-mail I received recently made me gasp and cringe and remember things I’d rather forget. It also reminded me that I’d be well served share a similar experience for the benefit of those who play fetch with sticks.
It started the other day with a comment.
From: Tammy
Subject: [Mr. Stick] New comment on Coming Soon to a Bookstore Near You!.
Date: Wednesday, November 10, 2010, 7:36 PM
Did your lab really swallow a stick? I laughed when I saw this because my Border Collie cost us 3 grand 2 years ago when he got a stick lodged in his throat OUCH!
My blood curdled. If you’ve not lived through a similar experience, don’t worry – by the time we cover all of the carnage you’ll feel like you were right there – like it or not.
I replied and acknowledged that we had endured a very scary week after Sola impaled herself on a stick while playing fetch in the yard. Tammy was kind enough to revisit our posts about the incident, and replied with the following:
From: Tammy Holloway
Subject: Re: [Mr. Stick] New comment on Coming Soon to a Bookstore Near You!.
Ouch! Glad he’s okay!! Take a look at the pic of my dog after 3 grand!! We “used” to throw a stick for him….It landed straight up in the grass and WHAMMO…It lodged in the back of his throat. It was horrible. We don’t throw sticks anymore :-/
Hell, after our multi-thousand dollar experience we don’t throw sticks either – as a matter of fact, when one of our dogs are spotted with one, hilarity ensues as I scramble to confiscate the offending object of desire and find a suitable replacement to distract the resident canines. I must look the fool to the average passerby. I’m quite ok with that, and you’ll understand why when you’ve had a chance to take in A Sticky Subject, the post that ruined quite a few appetites, forever changed the way we play fetch in these parts, and eventually left this mild mannered dog lover teetering on the brink of insanity.
After seeing this, I, the OP Pack Momster, am so thankful we don’t have sticks in our almost treeless yard. Mega Ouchies.
I haven’t thrown a stick for my dogs for many, many years. Have read too many horror stories. I’ve even had to ask other owners not to throw a stick for my dog. They look at me as if I’m a little mad, but I don’t think it’s worth the risk. Especially when we have lots of safe toys!
There’s a website (that I can’t find at the moment) which is UK-based I think, that gives various examples of dogs badly injured by sticks. Some didn’t make it
There was an article in the UK press last year too:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5404544.ece
Angela
UK
wow both of these stories make me so glad neither of the girls ever had an interest in sticks. Glad both baby recovered with the help of the emergency vet.
That’s it. Keep reminding readers. It is so easy to forget what can happen in a moment. What a horrible experience for any pet owner. And dog!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Rubber radiator hose, from your mechanic, bought by the foot, makes a waaaaaaay better retrieving stick! Lesson also learned the hard and expensive way!
I remember reading those for the first time back when they were first published, and I’ve never played fetch with a stick with a dog since then! *cringe*
We totally remember the saga and cringe now when we see a member of The Herd with a stick.
OW!!!!! At least things turned out Ok, pricey, but Ok
That is horrifying! Poor dog!
This is why when we play fetch A. We use a ball and B. I make the humans do the fetching. It works out much better that way all around.
lotsa licks, Lola
Ruby loves sticks and I am constantly taking them out of her mouth! Thanks for the visual – it really hits home….
Scary stuff! I’ve never thought or heard about this before.
Snuggles,
Twix
I have a border collie who was chewing on a stick and got a section of it wedged in the roof of his mouth. I couldn’t pull it out and ended up taking him to the vet to have it removed. It didn’t cost all that much, but boy was it a pain. For both of us I suppose.
After the Sola and Mr. Stick incident my two-legger has banned sticks. Now I remember why…..
Our Westie, Dusty, RIP swallowed a stick 7 years ago and had to have 7 inches of his intestines removed. He passed away in June from bladder cancer.
Sticks are wicked things.Rereading the maniacal story of your vengeance on Mr. Stick made me feel better again, after looking back on poor Sola’s ordeal.
It just happened to my dog running through the woods after a storm. 3″ deep, 6-7″ long in her chest as if she ran into it.
*sigh* We live on 160 acres of forest.
$400 at a very low cost clinic in Seattle.
It *can* happen.