A dog owner has shared her shock after her puppy was seriously hurt while playing with a stick in the park. The seven-month-old red setter called Yoshi needed urgent surgery after he started "crying and whining" on a walk, and it was discovered that he'd tore his oesophagus with a sharp stick.
Happily, Yoshi has now made a full recovery and owner Anna Nesterova is warning fellow dog lovers to be careful when out and about. Anna, from South Dublin, told the Mirror : "It all happened while we were out on a walk when Yoshi was playing and running around with other dogs.
"Suddenly, he picked up a stick and started running with it in his mouth and was chased by the other dogs who maybe wanted to take it off him.
"I'm not sure what happened, whether Yoshi fell onto the stick or another dog knocked him over, but he started crying and whining, and I could tell it had shaken him.
"I actually thought he had strained his leg, so I gave it a rub and I also looked in his mouth but couldn't see anything.
"I even gave him a treat and he swallowed it down straight away, then for the last half an hour of his walk he didn't seem to be in any pain at all.
"It was when I tried to give him a drink and feed him later that I realised there was a problem as he couldn't seem to eat or swallow, so I took him straight to the MyVet."
Medics took an X-ray and discovered Yoshi had suffered injuries to his mouth and throat, and would need surgery.
"I didn't expect that at all. I was shocked to find out he had such a serious injury and very concerned because I knew this was not just a small injury," Anna said.
"MyVet were absolutely amazing, though. They explained everything and were very gentle and professional, so I'm very grateful. I would definitely recommend them to other pet owners.
"Yoshi is absolutely fine now and completely healed. In fact, he seems even more active and full of energy than before the accident."
Veterinary surgeon Claire Meaney performed the challenging operation to repair the damage.
She explained: "An oral examination revealed the stick had impaled Yoshi's soft palate and X-rays also diagnosed a tear in his oesophagus.
"Surgery was clearly required but the operation was very challenging as the area needing treatment was not easily accessible.
"It took 90 minutes and the use of long, surgical instruments to stitch the lesion but it was a great success and, after a course of antibiotics and pain relief, it's now great to see Yoshi back to himself."
Do you have a dog story to share? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
