Collie's horrific stick injury

Maya, who belongs to David Ashton and his partner Cath Pryde of Gartcosh, had to undergo an emergency operation after a four-inch long stick punctured her tongue and displaced her voicebox.

Cath told the Herald: “I was out for a walk with my mum and as usual, Maya wanted me to throw a stick for her.

“She was racing along and the next thing she stopped suddenly and started limping.

“I thought at first she had stood on something but when we got back to the house she wouldn’t open her mouth and was very subdued.

“She wouldn’t eat and drink, and later on her jawline became swollen.”

She added: “We took her to the vet and they sedated her and then pulled out this long stick from her throat. We had no idea that was the problem. There had been no blood or any other clues.”

Fortunately, four-year-old Maya made a full recovery and is back happily playing with the couple’s other collie Flinty.

Sarah Stevenson, one of the nurses at Bishopbriggs Veterinary Centre said the practice had seen an increasing number of dogs admitted with injuries from sticks.

She said: “In Maya’s case, the stick went through the underside of her tongue and displaced her larynx, causing severe pain and her unwillingness to eat or drink. When she was admitted radiographs showed an abnormality in her mouth and on examination the vet could feel a hard object on the underside of the tongue.

“Unfortunately the vet was unable to remove the object without making an incision and then removed a stick around 10cm long.”

Sarah added: “Stick injuries may not be initially obvious and may cause long-term problems.

“For these reasons, we are warning pet owners against throwing or encouraging their dog to play with or chase sticks.

“We are delighted Maya is doing well and back to eating and drinking normally.”

The veterinary practicee also warned pet owners 
that pieces of wood can 
leave splinters in the dog’s mouth which can cause 
infection.