STICK SURGICALLY REMOVED.

[Fordevr]

I was outside playing with my 11 month old Pal Diesel. I noticed if I threw the stick 5 ft off the ground just in front of him he would leap into the air and catch it. It looked very cool so I continued getting him higher and higher. I threw the stick like I always did and he caught it, nice and high in the air. He now looked down with the stick in his mouth to spot his landing and when he did the stick jammed into the ground and was forced into his throat. He gave a whimper and came to me. (I was heart broken because I was very excited about his first herding clinic with Elvin Kopp he was attending very soon) I phoned the vet and they said not to worry he would be ok. I said I wanted to bring him in and they said its after hours and we are in surgery. I told them that was fine.."I will be waiting on the steps when your finished. I got there and one of the vets met me. She exmained him and said there was no stick in his mouth. After 10 mins or so she said I'm going to take another look and saw a tiny piece, about a half inch long,in the back of his throat. She said they would keep him in and remove it later that evening. She phoned me 2 hrs later and told me they had removed a piece of stick 5 inches long and as big around as your middle finger. Needless to say we throw sticks for im but they are not flying through the air. Mostly we use balls and other toys to avoid any more mishaps....

He was herding in his first clinic 2 days later.....He couldn't have a leash around his neck so Elvin showed me you could put a loose leash around his waist and lead him like that. Thanks Elvin it worked like a charm.

Ps. 12 hrs after he had his accident he was fetching...a ball and loving it.

[kgunther]

Jeepers - that is a horror story. Thanks for the warning. My girls love sticks even when you don't throw them. They love to just chew them up. We will be extra careful with them from now on!

Kristy

[Homeless]

I have had the same sort of injury with Joe.
finished up with a Big vets bill.
I aways try and keep away from them now.
Joe will quite happily fetch an old plastic bottle, if there isn't a ball in my pocket.

[CollieCallix]

That is scary. Thanks for the warning. Luckily, Callix has not yet encountered such operations. She is playful but very careful. I also watch her play so she is supervised.

It's great to know that we learn from each other.