A dog owner has told how her pet was left “dying in her arms” after suffering a “sword-swallower” injury while chasing a stick.
Spaniel Ebi was enjoying a walk with owner Nicola Elliott when the devastating injury occurred. The stick entered her mouth, ripping a hole in her oesophagus and narrowly missing two vital arteries.
The two-year-old sprocker underwent surgery, blood transfusions and treatment for sepsis, with the final bill expected to be around £10,000.
Despite fears that she would not survive the incident, Ebi was finally allowed home last week.
Now Nicola is warning others of the danger of throwing sticks for dogs.
She said: “Ebi had been zooming about off lead like a typical spaniel when she ran up to me with a stick. I didn’t think anything of it and threw it.
“She chased after it and the next thing I head a yelp and she collapsed instantly to the floor.”
Although she was unable to see where Ebi was injured, Nicola knew she was in need of urgent treatment and rushed her to Tay Valley Vets in Perth.
“I was about a quarter mile from the car and I had to carry her back,” she said. “I didn’t know it at the time but she was literally dying in my arms. Her head was just hanging over my arm.”
At the surgery vet Rebecca Manson quickly established that the stick had gone down Ebi’s throat and after initially being treated in Perth, the dog was rushed to the Royal Dick veterinary school in Edinburgh.
There a CT scan established that the stick had gone through Ebi’s flesh until it reached her armpit, with a rib deflecting it away from her heart and lungs. She underwent surgery and spent a week in intensive care.
Now home, she has a 40cm scar down her front and could have continuing liver problems due to the sepsis.
Nicola has now set up a Facebook page to raise awareness of the dangers of sticks and prevent any other owner undergoing the same ordeal.
She said: “It was the most traumatic time ever – I thought I’d killed my dog.
“Seeing her in that state was devastating – there’s no way I’d want another dog to go through what she did.”
Vet Rebecca said they see an average of two to three stick injury cases of varying severity a month.
She said: “We do see quite a lot here. I used to practise in Shetland and we didn’t get any because there are no trees.”
She also stressed the importance of having an appropriate level of insurance.
“Some have as little as £1,500 cover, which is fine for normal treatment,” she said. “But if you have to go to a specialist it can really mount up quickly.
Royal Dick surgeon Jon Hall said the school treats around six cases of stick injury a year, though as they only see the most serious injuries the true figure is much higher.
He said: “I think Ebi was lucky to survive. There was two occasions where she could have gone either way – first with the blood loss and then with the infection.
“The owner is trying to raise awareness of stick injuries and I think that is laudable.”
