Vet nurse warns of ‘dangerous’ act that almost EVERY dog owner does: ‘Can be fatal’

A registered veterinary nurse has posted an urgent warning to dog owners, cautioning them against playing fetch with their dogs by throwing them a stick.

Jade, who regularly shares pet information videos via her TikTok account Jade The Vet Nurse, shared a one-minute video this week detailing why the common dog play game could be dangerous for furry friends.

In the video, which has been viewed over 50,000 times, Jade admitted that she commonly sees pet owners finding sticks on the ground to throw for their dogs to chase and retrieve.

Despite the activity being commonplace, Jade warned that the seemingly innocent dog activity could have dangerous and devastating health consequences for a dog.

‘I’m afraid to say sticks can actually be very dangerous for your dogs and they are not a suitable toy for your dog’s to play with,’ Jade said.

The animal expert explained that a thrown stick could inadvertently wind up landing with one end of the stick pushed into the ground while the opposite end stick points  upright in the air.

‘What happens is your dog comes running towards it at a really high speed, they use their mouth to grab it and basically [the end of the stick] can go through the roof of their mouth,’ Jade explained.

‘It can [even] enter their brain, which will be fatal.’

Although dog’s commonly love activities that involved chasing and chewing sticks, a registered pet nurse has issued a new caution advising against the activity. ‘They are not a suitable toy for your dog’s to play with,’ Jade said.

Beyond chasing games, Jade also warned that even allowing your dog to chew on a stick has the potential to cause them serious health issues.

The registered vet nurse explained that stick chewing can result in ‘trauma’ to the dog’s mouth and tongue areas, while also opening them up to the possibility of getting ‘splinters that get stuck all the way along esophagus and stomach to their intestines’.

In serious cases, the vet added that this could even require surgery to remove any lodged stick pieces.

An Australian vet nurse previously took to Instagram to share a similar message regarding the dangers of throwing sticks to dogs.

Tess Nolan, from Queensland, previously shared a TikTok video calling out the five things that she as a dog owner would never do with her own dog.

The vet nurse and practice manager, who has a Boston Terrier named Daphne, explained in her video that throwing sticks for her dog to chase is one of five common acts she avoids.

Tess explained in the video, which was viewed more than 236,800 times, that many vets warn against dog owners playing fetch with sticks – and she would therefore never do it.

President of the British Veterinary Association Sean Wensley told The Guardian most vets are familiar with ‘the very serious, potentially life threatening injuries that can be caused by throwing sticks for dogs’.

Vet nurse Tess Nolan (pictured), from Queensland, previously shared a TikTok video detailing  the five things she would never do with her dog – including throwing sticks for her dog to chase

Tess works as a vet nurse, practice manager and business owner and has a Boston Terrier named Daphne (pictured)

He said ‘of course’ not every dog who chases a stick will be fatally injured but they can be.

Sean said, the most common injuries occur when: ‘the dog is running typically at a pace after it, and the stick is forced down the dog’s throat – it’s essentially impaled on that stick.’

He said some dogs have even been put down due to stick injuries and fatal infections.

Critical Care Specialist, Dr. Erin McGowan, from Blue Pearl Vet previously told Daily Mail: ‘We see stick related injuries all the time through the ER. Sticks are dangerous to play with and anytime I see an owner throwing a stick for a dog to chase I cringe a little.’

In Tess’ video, the remainder of the five acts that she lists as things she would never do as a dog owner included leaving her dog in a car, walking her dog off leash near a busy road, leaving them home alone with a collar on and taking them to a dog park.

While the reasoning behind most of these rules was fairly self-explanatory, the animal expert explained the last controversial point in more detail.

Tess said: ‘The most dog fights or incidences that we see come straight from the dog park’.

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