When Olivia Parkinson, 14, and her American bulldog, Maggie, were playing a game of fetch, neither of them knew it would end up almost costing Maggie her life. A stick thrown for Maggie became impaled in her chest, missing her heart by just 2 cm.
The accident happened in Weelsby Wood in Grimsby. Olivia threw the stick, which stuck into the ground in an upright position and when Maggie gave chase, she landed on top of the stick, which then pierced her chest.
The Parkinson family decided to rush Maggie to the Blue Cross in Grimsby, but when their other dogs tried to grab the stick, Olivia's father first carefully removed the stick from her chest. Maggie was lucky. The Blue Cross operated immediate and removed splinters from her leg. She was given medication and discharged the following day, but needed a second operation to remove more splinters. Her wounds required a total of 20 stitches.
The grateful family paid tribute to the Blue Cross and now want to warn others not to throw sticks, an activity which they hadn't realised could result in “horrific injuries”.
“I want to make people aware that an innocent object, which is blunt, can harm your dog,” said Olivia, vowing to use soft toys in future.
A spokesperson for the RSPCA pointed out the dangers of allowing pets to play with sticks but said they hadn't seen many cases of injury through impalement. However, referring to potential harm to teeth and gums and causing obstruction if swallowed, she advised that people use toys instead of sticks.
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