Dogs and Sticks: Innocent Toys or Deadly Weapons

February 28, 2016

by Natalie Secretan

Throwing sticks for dogs seems like the most natural thing in the world. Humans have been doing it for centuries. It’s a fun game that dogs love, and sticks are so chewable. Your dog gets the added satisfaction and reward of demolishing it once they’ve found it. But two problems arise out of this seemingly innocent game of fetch. One is that dogs should never eat sticks or anything wooden for that matter; and two, a stick can essentially be a lethal weapon for any dog approaching it at top speed.

Vets are reporting more and more incidents of dogs impaling themselves on sticks or getting them jammed in their mouths and throats. When I first heard of this, my initial thought was my dog’s way smarter than that. She knows not to swallow sticks; she just likes to chew them. No harm done, right? But the other day, on one of our regular walks in the woods, I accidentally backed up into a rather pointy stick, puncturing the skin and leaving a very painful bruise. It’s then that I started looking at sticks differently.

Then I read an article on the very subject in a British newspaper. It listed some of the horrific things that can happen when you let your dog play with sticks.

The Dangers of Playing with Sticks

Catching sticks can puncture the mouth, tongue and damage the larynx.
Sticks can penetrate the neck and even go straight through the spinal cord, leading to paralysis, and fatal blood loss.
Splintered wood can get lodged in the mouth and throat.
If swallowed, wood can lead to digestive blockages and abdominal pain, requiring surgery.

Sticks are also full of bacteria and can cause infections. In one reported case, a stick had got lodged in the back of a dog’s throat. The dog carried on as if everything was normal; meanwhile, in the back of its throat, the stick was festering away. This poor dog ended up with a hole in the roof of its mouth, caused by infection. The whole time, the owner was none the wiser.

In another reported incident, one dog ended up with a huge splinter in the side of its tongue. While the owner was aware that something was wrong because of swelling, an initial exam revealed nothing. This splinter was only discovered after the dog was examined under anesthetic, proving that many of these injuries can go undetected.

Now I’m telling everybody: Teach your dogs not to play with sticks! Even if you’re a responsible pet owner, playing with sticks is a dangerous endeavour. If your dog likes a fun game of fetch, stick to rubber toys, Frisbees and balls – just as much fun, but nowhere near as dangerous as sticks.

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Photo credit: Eric Fleming ~ Big Stick