Dog Owner Issues Urgent Warning After Her Pet Was Nearly Killed By Stick

A dog owner has issued an urgent warning to people not to throw sticks for their dogs after her pet pooch was impaled by a branch and nearly lost his life.

Jemma Hammerton, 22, from Willenhall, West Mids, was playing with her five-year-old Jack Russell cross, Marley, when a game of fetch went horribly wrong.

A stick she had thrown for her pup became lodged in the mud at an upward angle and pierced poor Marley's throat.

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"We were out on our usual walk when a stick I had thrown dug itself into the mud and was pointing upwards," said Jemma.

"Marley ran to get it but didn't stop in time and the stick got lodged in the back of his mouth."

At first, a petrified Jemma assumed her beloved pup was dead. As she rushed towards him, she could see that the stick was lodged deep in Marley's throat and that he was covered in blood.

She said: "I ran over and he was desperately trying to get it out with his paws, and in a panic I pulled it out of his mouth.

"There was blood pouring from his throat and he just became limp and lifeless.

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"I actually thought he was dead and that the stick had gone through his neck completely at first.

"I was hysterical, it was like I was losing a child."

Marley was taken straight to Wolverhampton PDSA Pet Hospital. He was prescribed an initial month-long course of antibiotics and pain medications, and told to come back for check-ups.

Over the next few weeks Marley appeared to be making a good recovery, but unfortunately the pooch's ordeal wasn't over.

In February, Jemma spotted a small lump on his neck that had started to puss and go blackish colour.

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After going back to PDSA, it turned out that Marley needed an hour-long surgery to remove previously undetected bits of the branch which were still stuck in his neck.

"It was like there was something there trying to push its way out," said Jemma.

"It looked incredibly sore and had started pussing and going black.

"He was acting so out of character, so I knew something wasn't right, so we took him back to PDSA to get it checked."

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Thankfully, Marley is now back to his old self, and Jemma wants to use her experience to warn other dog owners of the dangers involved in stick throwing.

"I want to urge other owners not to let their dogs play with sticks while out walking. I learnt the hard way and I don't want anyone else to go through what Marley's been through.

"Marley means the world to me and I am forever grateful to everyone at PDSA who were absolutely brilliant.

"I can't thank them enough for everything they did in keeping Marley with me, I dread to think what would have happened if we didn't have them. They are a God-send."

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Last month, Tyla reported a similar incident in Baulkham Hills, Sydney, in which Dash, a two year-old Border Collie, got a stick lodged in his throat.

Returning home from a trip to the park, Dash's owners noticed he seemed "upset" and refused to eat.

After being taken to the Animal Referral Centre, vets discovered that a stick had "penetrated the base of his tongue" and was stuck deep inside his throat.

Talking about the incident, specialist Surgeon Dr David Simpson told news.com.au: "Typically the enthusiasm of the average 'stick-chaser' is their downfall.

"The dog runs to retrieve the stick with great energy and if the stick lands end-on just as the dog catches up with it, the forward momentum of the dog will force the stick through the back of the dog's throat or under the tongue."

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Happily, Dash made a full recovery after surgery, but Dr Simpson explained that not other dogs are as lucky.

"Dash was lucky the stick stopped just inside the chest and it didn't puncture the heart or lungs. Dash was also lucky we were able to find the stick and removed it and the many small bark fragments that split off it.

The surgeon went on to explain that sticks can act as a huge splinter and create "ongoing abscesses and discharging infections until the foreign material and the bacteria associated with it are eventually removed."

Facebook / Animal Referral Hospital)

Going on the surgeon's advice, it's much safer to stick to balls and chewy dog toys.

Topics: Dog, Pets, Life, Animals

Mary-Jane Wiltsher

Mary-Jane Wiltsher is a freelance lifestyle and culture journalist. Elsewhere she writes for Stylist, Euronews, PHOENIX and What We Seee.