The eBark: Rockingham Dog Club Issue 3 April 2016 | Page 20

Stick injuries to dogs are not a
common injury, but when they
occur they can be devastating.

arteries in the neck, the nerves
running in the neck and occasionally the spinal column.

Apart from the trauma and the
owners’ distress this kind of
injury is completely preventable, said Dr Mark Glyde from
the Murdoch University Veterinary Hospital.

“The outcome for the dog depends on exactly what is damaged and the severity of the
damage”, he says. “Permanent
disability is not uncommon, at
times the injuries have been
fatal and infection is often a
problem, as the stick is usually
dirty and typically splinters
when it is driven into the
neck”.
Surgery is necessary to remove the stick, to repair the
damaged structures and to try
and remove the contamination
and the wood fragments.

“Unfortunately dogs love sticks
and love retrieving, so many
people happily throw sticks for
their pets, not realising the potential trauma that can follow.
Injuries occur when one end
of the stick lodges into the
ground and becomes fixed at
one end, the dog runs onto the
stick with his mouth open and
impales itself onto the stick.

“Please be aware of the dangers of sticks!
There are plenty of nondangerous things to throw for
dogs so owners and dogs can
safely enjoy the pleasure of
exercising together”, Glyde
says.

The stick is usually driven
through the back of the mouth
and then is forced down
through the neck and occasionally through the chest”.
Dr Glyde says the specific injuries varied from case to case,
but typically included severe
damage to the voice box
(larynx),
food
pipe
(oesophagus),
wind
pipe
(trachea), the main (carotid)

(It happened to one of our members
a many years ago, a very costly trauma indeed, so please take note of
this article…..Ed)

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