Dogs are the greatest things on the planet. Seriously, I don't care how breathtaking a location is or how delicious a meal can be - nothing compares to seeing a happy dog! And this is why they make such amazing pets. They lower our stress levels, make us happier, and really complete our families. Dogs are the best.
Don't believe me? Just check out this adorable pit bull "fainting" every time somebody tries to cut her nails:Therefore, it's natural that we want to spoil our dogs the same way we do our children. Treats, trips to the park, and, of course, toys. However, not all doggy toys are created equally, and now vets at the Foxhall Veterinary Clinic in Ruskington, England, have shared an important warning for all dog owners.
Poppy was brought into the clinic by owners Helen and James Hartley, who found their dog with her tongue stuck in an airhole of a rubber toy ball. Poppy's injuries were so serious, they left her unable to eat and it reached the point where her tongue what quite literally hanging by a thread.
Posting on their Facebook page, Foxhall Veterinary Clinic shared Poppy's story:
"Poppy's owner returned from work to find that poppy had got her tongue stuck in the air hole of a dog ball. They weren't sure how long it had been stuck for. Poppy's owner managed to remove the ball from her tongue and although Poppy seemed bright, she was acting strangely, so her owners brought her down to us.
"On arrival at Foxhall, the front half of Poppy's tongue was very swollen, we could see a red line on her tongue where the ball had affected the blood flow. Apart from this her tongue was pink and warm to touch and appeared otherwise normal. She was also happy to eat our treats, so was given some medication to help with the swelling and booked in for re-checks.
"Poppy came in to us daily over the course of the next week for check-ups. Unfortunately the red line gradually changed in to bruising, the bruises then started to smell and formed white plaques on top, which eventually turned black, necrotic and died off."
Sadly, Poppy's tongue deteriorated and she was left with a very nasty looking injury:
"Poor Poppy was left with two great big slits on either side of her tongue where the ball had been and was struggling to eat and drink because of this, so she was booked in for surgery with Sophie our Vet!
"During the surgery Sophie removed all the dead tissue and stitched the tongue back together. The surgery was successful and our Nurses couldn't believe it when Poppy ate and drank as soon as she woke up!"
The good news is, Poppy's tongue recovered from the surgery, and now she can give "plenty of kisses" - although, there is an important lesson to be learned from Poppy's story:
"We are happy to report that Poppy's tongue has pretty much healed now, she is using her tongue normally to drink and can still give plenty of kisses!! The stitches are still in place but will eventually dissolve.
We've all grown very attached to Poppy here at Foxhall and we will miss her daily visits. Poppy's Owners wanted us to share her story to highlight the dangers of leaving your dog unattended with toys, no matter how innocent they seem!"
They may be independent creatures, but be sure to supervise your dogs the same way you would your children whenever they're playing with toys.
Related - Watch the heartwarming moment this owner was reunited with his dog after three years of searching:
