Choking in the Brush

Call me crazy or a bad dog owner (or a bad dog parent) if you will, but Misty is currently snacking on a half dozen plain Tim-Bits after her incident today:

I was at the hunting camp, up in the brush doing some clearing; I left Misty tied to the back of the ATV while I was in the brush working (she had water and plenty of shade). She hates to be tied, so she was going insane trying to get herself lose, eventually though she settled and was napping. After about 30 minutes of working I noticed her rolling on the ground pawing at her face.

I ran to her and she had clawed her own gums to the point they were bleeding, she was obviously struggling to breathe as well. After about 20 seconds of trying to figure out what was wrong I held her down and opened her mouth and found a stick lodged sideways in her throat.

It took a bit of work, and she bled a bit from pulling it out - but I got it out.

I remembered a story from the breeder we got an Irish setter from when I was 8-10 years old. He and my father were talking and he mentioned his dog dying from choking on a maple leaf that had been kicked up by one of the dogs running in from of him.

Just thought I'd share my experience.

Good you identified the problem and reacted.

That must have been scary. I tell you, it always something.

sticks are always bad news, no dog should be encouraged to play with them.
Glad Misty's OK, give her a steak instead of Tim Bits.

My Golden Retriever is like a beaver. I have to reach back into the roof of her mouth and remove sticks (wedged across the roof, from molars to molars) a few times a year. Can't seem to stop her from chewing sticks. She'll even break off a living tree if there are no sticks to be had. The only time she does this is when I have her out, and am too busy to play fetch.

MC

Sticks aren't a problem here; branches are. :)

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/...ps03dce5c5.jpg

The little guy likes to hide out when its dark behind the seed pail and catch mice/voles too.

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/...ps55f145c2.jpg

** If someone can make these pics smaller, go for it.

Jake is a big time stick eater. He got one wedged across the roof of his mouth between the back molars earlier in the summer and I had a real hard time getting it out. I was pretty worried! Dumb-dumb went right back to chewing sticks after.

Sharon-Too bad you don't teach him to bring back the ones with the little blue berries......
Our Golden doesn't retrieve but plays with sticks for his own enjoyment...after breaking them off trees.