Why Throwing A Stick At Your Dog Can Cost Him His Life
Going to the park with our pet or playing in the garden is more than fun, but it can also be dangerous. Yes, because throwing a stick at your dog can even cost him his life. In this article we will tell you the reason for this statement.
Throwing sticks, dangerous for the dog
One sunny summer Sunday we decided to go with our dog to the park to spend some time together and have fun. One of the games that is not lacking consists of throwing a branch that we find on the way, so that he looks for it and brings it to us to continue like this for a long time.
Although we may think that this is the most common and harmless thing in the world, the truth is that it can cause many problems for the animal, including death. It is not about sounding alarmist or pessimistic, but about us being more aware of our decisions and how they affect our pets.
As a first measure, throwing a stick or branch at it without checking for any splinters, protrusions or points is the most dangerous thing in the world. The dog runs at full speed, happy for the game and captures with its mouth what we have thrown at it. .. with the risk of cutting itself or causing a serious injury! And if you want to catch it on the fly or the stick sticks vertically into the ground, you just have to imagine what can happen to our pet.
If we have a Labrador Retriever or a Collie we must be more careful, since they are two breeds prone to suffering injuries of this type; They love capture games and can be somewhat jerky in their movements.
There are few cases of dogs that come to the veterinarian’s consultation because the stick has gone through their muzzle from side to side or that it is stuck in the gum and they cannot be removed. Even that it has caused a deep cut in the tongue or the palate …
In turn, as owners, we may not realize that our pet has been injured or that it has a piece of wood stuck in its mouth … Days go by and it becomes infected in such a way that, to remove it, it requires a major operation wingspan. That if he is ‘lucky’ to be operable and the veterinarian does not indicate euthanasia as the only possible way out of such suffering.
In the event that the animal swallows a fragment of the stick, its vertices can cause damage to the esophagus or stomach. Although it may seem strange, there have also been cases of pets with a pointed wood stuck in the lung or in the spine.
Choose safe toys for your dog
With this we do not want you to stop playing with your dog in the park or in the garden of your house, but rather that you take certain measures so that what should be a fun moment does not turn into a fatality.
The sticks are just one option among the different objects that we could throw at our pet. For this reason, we recommend that you buy him some rubber toy, even with an elongated or bone shape, so that he can catch and nibble without problems.
Of course, we cannot forget about the balls, because their rapid movement encourages them to chase them: toys shaped like animals – such as ducks or mice – that enhance the animal instinct or even the famous Frisbees or discs that are sold in stores. .
And if you are more into crafts, you can create a toy with old socks and rags or tie several knots to a thick rope.
Throwing a stick at the dog in the park can be more dangerous than you think. Better avoid it to continue enjoying the outdoors with your pet.
