Dog Escapes Death After Stick Narrowly Missed Her Lungs

Vets say they treat dogs for serious stick injuries on a weekly basis and owners should try to reduce this by using safer toys in place of sticks.

‘Brandy’ a bull terrier was left with an 11-inch stick lodged deep in her throat and poking out of the chest.
The stick missed Brandy’s lungs and major arteries by a whisker.
Brandy’s owner Sophia-Jayne Lye described the horrific scenes as her daughter Soe’s harmless game at their home in Shooters Hill, London, ended in screams.

Ms Lye said: “I was inside when I heard Soe screaming.

“I rushed out and saw Brandy lying there with a huge stick coming out of her chest. It was unbelievable.

I was inside when I heard Soe screaming
Sophia-Jayne Lye
“Luckily, she was still breathing but I knew we needed to get her help urgently.”

Vets at PDSA’s Thamesmead Pet Hospital say Brandy’s stick injury was one of the worst they have ever treated.

PDSA pet hospital lead Laura Davey said Brandy was lucky but owners should use other toys to play fetch to avoid such awful injuries.
She said: “When we saw Brandy’s injury, we couldn’t believe she was still alive.

“It was a huge stick and it had travelled right through her mouth and throat and into her chest, narrowly missing her lungs.

“The most serious injuries tend to occur when a dog runs into a stick that has become lodged in the ground after being thrown, and the dog becomes impaled.

“We don’t want people to stop exercising their pets or even playing fetch, but we want pet owners to use safer alternatives to sticks, such as a dog-safe ball or rubber safe-stick.

“Brandy was incredibly lucky. If the stick had hit an artery, it would have been fatal.