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A two-year-old black Labrador named Toby has made a remarkable recovery after a freak accident that nearly cost him his life.
The incident happened when Toby was chasing a stick during what should have been a normal play session. The stick, which had lodged upright in the ground, was forced down his throat as he ran onto it, narrowly missing vital organs.
In the panic that followed, desperate attempts by his owners, Karen and Martin Tominey, to remove it resulted in a large piece breaking off and becoming lodged even further inside him, just millimeters from causing catastrophic injury.
The couple, who were on holiday in a caravan in Pitlochry, faced an urgent 80-mile drive to our Vets Now Hospital in Glasgow for lifesaving treatment.
A terrifying journey for urgent care
Toby required delicate surgery to remove the remaining stick. However, shortly after the procedure, he developed an ulcer, which vets feared could lead to potentially fatal peritonitis. This meant he needed a second, lengthy operation.
Karen and Martin, from Glasgow, are now sharing their experience to warn other pet owners about the hidden dangers of stick play.
“Toby always goes for sticks and Martin was throwing one for him as normal when it stuck upright in the grass,” said Karen. “His momentum took him right onto it and we could see straight away that he was distressed and trying to be sick.
“Martin tried to free the stick, but it broke and a big bit was still lodged down his throat.
“We found a vet practice about 40 minutes away, but Toby’s breathing was getting heavier and he was struggling so badly we thought he was gone. It was absolutely terrifying.”
The local vets were able to sedate and stabilise Toby, but quickly determined he needed specialist emergency care. The couple then made the anxious journey to our Vets Now hospital in Glasgow city centre.
Karen recalled how frightening the drive was: “Because he was sedated, he was just lying in the back of the car with me. I was so scared he was going to move and the stick could have done some terrible damage.”
Emergency surgery and unexpected complications
As it was late evening, Toby underwent diagnostic tests and was kept stable overnight before a surgical team assessed his condition the following morning.
Vet Carla Molina said the situation could easily have been fatal.
“Obviously it was a really unfortunate accident, but Toby was actually really lucky the injuries weren’t much worse,” she explained. “The stick was so close to piercing his airway or internal organs and if it had then he could easily have died.
“We were able to operate to remove the stick, which was really big, fit a feeding tube and he seemed to be doing well.”
However, Toby’s recovery took another worrying turn just days later. He became unwell with abdominal pain, and scans suggested possible acute peritonitis (an infection of the abdominal lining) which was unrelated to the original stick injury.
He required a second emergency operation, during which vets discovered an ulcer that needed repair, along with fluid drainage.
A grateful recovery
Thankfully, Toby went on to make a strong recovery following his second procedure. Karen and Martin, who had feared they might lose him, were finally able to bring him home to continue his recovery.
Toby needed ongoing care, including hand feeding and regular medication, but has since regained his strength and is now back to his usual self.
“When you look at him, you’d never know what he’s gone through and we can’t thank the Vets Now team enough for saving him,” said Karen.
“He’s back out playing, but we make sure he stays well away from sticks.
“Like a lot of dog owners we thought he was just having fun chasing them and never realised they could be so dangerous. We’d definitely urge people to be very careful with sticks.”