# Warning of sticks



## LaVidaLoca (Feb 20, 2012)

Hey all,

I know this topic has been discussed a few times but regarding to our horrible experience on Saturday *I want to warn every new Vizsla/ puppy owner to avoid his/her dog running or playing with a stick.*

*Even when your dog is supervised - never ever sticks in your dogs mouth!!*

We were on a big field with our 10 months old pup and she was enjoying her runs. Then she picked up a stick, quite far away from us and after few seconds a scream of pain and she was choking.

When we arrived we saw drops of blood and then everywhere from her mouth came blood. I can't tell you in words how horrible that was. We got in panic. She was bleeding like a slaughtered pic. I quickly put my hand into her mouth to check if there's a piece of wood left.

I started to cry when I saw our pup bleeding so much. We didn't know where she was injured. Our car was far away and my husband started to run. She's to heavy to carry and run to the car. I hold her and cried while I waited for my husband to arrive. I thought she will die from loosing blood.

We drove with 100km or more though the city. Thanks good it was early Saturday and not too much traffic. I was holding her with me in the front seat and I was covered with her blood. We didn't know the way from that place we have been to the Vet's street. That freaked us out too. But finally we made it to the Vet thanks to my husband's good orientation.

It's impossible not to get in panic. 

Luckily the Vets just came in and we gave her to them. I cried the hole time and we expected the worst.

After a while the Vet came out and said that she's fine, they took x-rays and fortunately no stucked stick. 

The bleeding stopped but they couldn't see where she's injured. They kept her for a half day, she vomited the blood she swallowed and she ate two times few kibble. So that was a good sign that her air -and food pipe weren't effected.
When we picked her up it was like nothing happend - she was very tired,I guess from the pain killer as well.
She got a big hematoma under her throat which got bigger in the evening at home. She ate her kibble and when she drank water there was fresh blood. We drove to another Vet just to be sure. She found the injury in her mouth - it was under the tongue in the back of her throat. 

So we should keep an eye on her hematoma. Normally she sleeps in her crate in another room but we took her to our bedroom and she slept next to me. We checked on her every 2-3hours and luckily there was no more bleeding
The hematoma didn't get bigger but you could clearly see that it's liquid and it was soft( which is a good sign )

So next day to the Vet again and we did make an ultrasound to be sure that there's no splinters left and to see if the injury is deep what was suggested first.
She was such a good girl. She hold still while the Vet checked her. ( She's a dream patient of every Vet)
So no splinters and the wound isn't deep. She had so much luck.... I don't wanna imagine about a throat injury....
So she gets antibiotics and painkillers. She sleeps a lot but eats and drinks ( a little bit slower than usual) and doesn't make any fuss when she gets the medications. 

She was sooo lucky but it scared us to death. No one wants to see his/her dog bleeding like a slaughtered pig. I wish we didn't make that experience but at least she 's fine. Could have been worse. We got off lightly.

*Please don't let your dogs pick up sticks. Carry instead durable toys or a dummy with you!! It can happen in few seconds!!* As long as nothing happens - you don't mind.....


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## NeverGiveUpRAC (Aug 27, 2012)

Oh my...I am so relieved your girl is going to be alright! How traumatizing for you guys! Gosh, a few times my boy has found a big stick and carried it around running...and I get a bad feeling like, if he trips or runs into something it will go right into his throat. Then I tell myself I am worrying too much to just let him play...never again. Thanks to you. <3 So glad we could learn a lesson with no real loss...update us on how your girl is doing!!


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

LaVidaLoca, wow that is awful. I am so pleased that Vida is okay and hopefully will continue to improve daily. 

I have to say my boys are always playing with sticks. It is a lesson learnt, so I will take their plastic rope stick in future. In fact I will invest in a few more.

Thank you for the warning.


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## BaxtersMum (Oct 6, 2012)

Hi

Thank heavens your baby is ok. I was almost in tears myself reading your post, you must have been so distraught. There are warning posters in our vet and local pet shops about the dangers of sticks with dogs. 

Well done for getting her seen to promptly and I hope she is all better soon!!


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

I am so glad to read that Vida is going to be okay!!   

I know I've told this story before, but now is a good time to repeat it... An old friend of mine had a beautiful Border Collie, a female named "Plato". Plato loved to play with sticks. Since they live on a lake (not the same lake as me) they used to throw sticks into the water for Plato to swim after and retrieve. 

On this one fateful day, Plato retrieved her stick and was running up the bank at the water's edge when the stick hit the ground and jammed into the back of her throat. It caused a massive tear in her esophagus. She underwent two surgeries in an attempt to repair the damage, but the repair would not hold. A few days later, Plato died. She was a great dog. :'(

Please don't ever let your dog play with sticks.!! Again, I am so happy to hear that Vida will recover!


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

Glad Vida is ok!


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

I have to have my husband read this. Ruby, being the puppy that she is, often picks up sticks to play with/chew on. I am always chasing after her to fish them out of her mouth and not let her play with him. My husband gives me a hard time about being over protective and tells me to just leave her be.


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## SkyyMax (Apr 5, 2012)

Wow - definitely an eye opener!
I am glad Vida is OK!


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