Rawhide, bones, sticks, and rubber balls –all these are typical items you might find a dog happily chomping away on. We play fetch with Frisbees, tennis balls and sticks without giving too much thought to the idea that the item of choice might be dangerous for a pup. Many of these popular chew toys actually can be hazardous, but what about sticks? Should a dog chew on a stick?
Is Stick Chewing Dangerous for Dogs?
There are several questions to consider when weighing whether or not a dog should be interrupted from chewing on sticks. Here are a few:
How many injuries actually occur from the practice? One vet located in Cheshire, England noted that of his 3,000 regular patients, he would generally see about 20 dogs a year in his office for stick-chewing related wounds. Specialist hospitals report that in general, there are about 2-3 critical cases of stick-related injuries in canines per month.
What kinds of “injuries” are they? A dog might have anything as minor as a sliver in his paw or mouth, or as severe as a deep gash. Wood when wet can become quite slippery, and if a dog is chewing determinedly in one area, the stick my slide out of his grasp, with the pointed edges heading straight for his mouth or paws. Some pups puncture holes in their check or lips, and get pieces of wood wedged between their teeth. The spiky bits of wood have been known to scrap a dog’s gums, even causing infection and bacteria to grow, which can have a negative effect on internal organs if not treated quickly.
What treatments exist for such injuries? Whether the injury is treated directed or through surgery, the experience can be time consuming and expensive. Dr. Cameron Muir notes that it is risky to play fetch with a stick because, “We often have to put dogs under anesthetics to remove the splinters, and sometimes have them in for repeat surgeries.”
Which dog breeds have the highest number of stick-wound cases? Border Collies and Labradors seems to have the most frequent cases of the such injuries, due to their speedy running and enthusiasm for playing fetch and retrieving.
What are safer alternatives for playing fetch with a stick? Many people recommend playing fetch with rubber dog toys, rubber balls (as long as they are not small enough to get stuck in the dog’s throat), boomerangs and Frisbees. If you have any doubts about a specific toy, consult your vet.
One of the other reasons stick chewing can be troubling, is that often dog owners may not even be aware of the level of severity in the wound. There have been pet owners reported who have arrived at the animal hospital claiming their dog seemed out of sorts, wasn’t eating, or showing her normal amount of energy. The vet then discovers slivers or stick pieces several inches long that has stabbed through the pup’s tongue or damaged her voice box. Without any sign of blood, the pet owners could have had no idea.
Stick throwing and chewing has led to many instances of severe or even life-threatening injuries, that authorities such as Grace Webster, President of the Veterinary Association in Great Britain, encourages all pet owners to abstain from using sticks at all when they play with their pets. However, other veterinarians claim that their dogs have played with sticks for years, and have never experienced a problem. They believe the issue lies more with the pet owner, whose responsibility it is to supervise their dog. Granted, if the pup is not allowed to chew on a stick, then the likelihood of sustaining a serious injury is greatly diminished.
If you are on the fence about what to do, consult with your vet, or keep the stick-fetch games to a minimum.
