(This fictional story is for educational purposes only and does not depict a real pet, owner, or clinic. It highlights the risks of using sticks as a throw toy, and the possible injuries that may result.)

Lola the four-year-old German shorthaired pointer LOVED to play fetch. Whenever her owner Marc arrived home, Lola would greet him with a wagging tail, holding one of her favourite toys and waiting for him to start the game.

One day off-lead in the park, Lola proudly presented Marc with a big stick to throw for her. Marc obligingly threw it, and the usual high energy game of fetch ensued. All was going well until Lola ran up behind the bouncing stick at high speed and tried to grab it. As Lola lunged forward, the stick caught at an angle in the dirt, resulting in Lola running onto the point of the stick with her open mouth. Lola yelped and jumped back, whining in distress and pawing at her face.

Concerned, Marc ran up and tried to check the dog’s mouth. Whilst Lola resisted him opening her jaws, he could see blood around her clenched teeth and decided to take her to her regular vet immediately for an assessment.

After a short waiting time, the veterinary staff kindly squeezed Lola in for an emergency appointment. Whilst she seemed generally bright and stable, she was still very sore and would not allow the vet to check her mouth either. Marc therefore consented to a sedation so that Lola could receive a proper examination.

Under sedation, Lola was found to have a nasty wound under her tongue, with a few pieces of shredded stick present. Fortunately, the wound in her mouth only extended a couple of centimetres into the tissue, and no other injuries were found. Lola’s wound was flushed out with sterile saline, and the wound stitched closed with dissolving stitch material. She was then started on a course of antibiotics and pain relief and prescribed a soft food diet for the next week.

Fortunately, Lola made a rapid recovery and was back to playing fetch in no time, with a new safety rule: dog toys only!