How throwing a stick to your dog could be putting their life at risk

A dog owner speaks out to warn others about the dangers of playing fetch with their four-legged friends after her beloved pet suffered life-threatening injuries.

Helen Grinbergs said her son brought their dog Pip, an Australian red kelpie, to the park in Curtin in the ACT in 2021 for off-leash exercise, but lost sight of him for a minute in the tall grass.

When he found him, the dog was bleeding ‘considerably’ so her son managed to stop the flow of blood by using clothing and called his mother who rushed Pip to the vet.

“The theory is that he was probably bouncing in the tall grass and impaling himself on a stick,” Grinbergs told the newspaper. ABC on Monday.

Although the external injury seems quite minor, the piece of stick had caused major injuries.

Pip was left with a large scar (left) and the piece of stick lodged in the wound that probably saved his life

“The stick had gone through his chest wall and severed his carotid artery, and another artery,” Ms Grinbergs said.

Pip also had damage to his lungs, but a small piece of wood had broken off and remained in the stab wound, probably saving his life.

He is now fully recovered, but has nerve damage, Horner’s syndrome, meaning one eye cannot dilate properly, and reduced mobility of the scar tissue.

Canberra vet Dr Clara Wilkins said stick injuries aren’t too common but can be extreme if they happen.

“Injuries can range from dogs with splinters in their mouths and sticks in their teeth to dogs with sticks in their chests or stomachs, which is what happens when they jump to catch a stick and land on it,” she said. .

She suggested replacing the stick with a tennis ball or Frisbee for a game of fetch instead.

Vets have recommended using tennis balls or Frisbees instead to catch with your dog