Vet warns dog owners over hidden dangers of sticks

DOG owners are being urged to take extra care when walking their dogs, after a vet’s own pet suffered severe internal injuries whilst running into a stick from a broken branch in the woods.

Caroline Collins, a veterinary surgeon and director at Pennard Vets in Kent, shared her experience to highlight the potentially life-threatening risks of stick-related injuries.

Her dog, cocker spaniel Daniel, was injured having run into a stick whilst on a walk. What first looked like a small, superficial wound with very little bleeding quickly developed into something far more serious.

Daniel is recovering well after his ordeal.

Caroline said: "Initially, it seemed like a very minor poke. He was a bit uncomfortable, so we gave him pain relief and cleaned the wound.

"However, given his symptoms, we did a CT scan and that’s when the true extent of the injury became clear."

Despite the tiny wound on the outside, the scan showed that the injury had actually gone deep into Daniel’s chest.

Air had spread under the skin and through the body’s internal tissue layers and had also reached areas around the heart and further back in the abdomen. The scan confirmed that the chest cavity had been penetrated.

"The lung had collapsed slightly and there was also some bruising to the lung," Caroline said. "So, what looked like a very minor injury on the surface turned out to be quite serious damage inside."

Daniel was placed on strict rest, but over the following days his condition evolved. He developed subcutaneous emphysema, a build-up of air under the skin, prompting a second CT scan.

Caroline said: "This showed things had got worse. Air had spread widely along both sides of his body, moving along the chest and abdomen and even into his back legs.

"The air around the heart had increased, and there were still signs of a partially collapsed lung."

Caroline said the likely cause was a "one-way valve" effect from the wound, allowing air to be drawn into the body and spread through tissue planes as Daniel moved.

After ongoing treatment, the dog is now recovering.

Caroline said: "This has been a powerful reminder, even for me as a vet, of how unpredictable injuries can be.

"Owners should always be cautious when walking their dogs and seek veterinary advice if their dog sustains any kind of wound, no matter how small it may seem.

"The key message is that very small wounds can conceal extremely serious internal damage. Without advanced imaging like CT, we wouldn’t have understood what was going on inside.

"We have done this walk hundreds of times, but as this incident proved, there are hidden dangers.

"Most people know not to throw sticks for their dogs and to take them off them if they are prone to playing with them, but as this episode proved, it’s always important to be vigilant - no matter how small a wound appears to be."

Pennard Vets is an independent veterinary group with practices across Kent, including its state-of-the-art Sevenoaks site, which offers advanced diagnostic services such as CT, ultrasound and MRI scanning.

Founded in Sevenoaks, Kent in 1890 there are seven practices, employing a 172-strong team, in Allington, Borough Green, Langley Park, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and West Malling. In 2021, Pennard Vets became the world’s largest employee-owned practice.