Chelsea, the Whippet-mix is very lucky to be alive.  Her owner, Wendy Jones of Poole in Dorset, relates the horrifying story of Chelsea’s encounter with a stick.

“We have two dogs, Chelsea, a Whippet-mix who is 4½ years old and Savannah, a purebred whippet who is 1½ years old.  

Chelsea I have always believed that sticks were bad for dogs, and have always discouraged my dogs from stick playing. However, when we moved house we had to cut some trees out at the new place. Savannah, who was a puppy at the time, taught Chelsea how to eat sticks, and as much as we tried to be diligent in clearing them from the yard, they would even pull them straight off the trees. 

In the summer of 2001, we were inside the house and the dogs were playing outside. They weren’t really out of our sight, we could still see them from where we were in the house.  Suddenly Chelsea came running in terrified, pawing and scratching madly at her mouth and appeared not breathing. I suspected straight away that she’d got a stick caught in her mouth. I put my fingers into her mouth looking for the stick I believed was there, and could find nothing.  I did 'doggie heimlich' and she started breathing but I kept reaching into her mouth and throat to find the stick  It had lodged at the top of her mouth in the back of her pallet - took me ages to find it. And in her panic to dislodge the stick with her tongue she had got her tongue caught and swallowed it.  Fortunately I was able to bring it back up with my fingers.  

Although it was probably only a minute or two, my life and hers flashed before my eyes! Who would have thought she could  swallow her tongue while trying to dislodge the stick.  If I hadn’t acted as quickly as I did, she would have choked to death on her own tongue. (Incidentally the only physical damage the stick caused was a small scratch to the palate!)

Chelsea (left) with Savannah

The good thing to come out of the day is that we had someone visiting who'd never seen anything like that.  I guarantee he won't forget it in a hurry and will NEVER let his dogs have sticks. 

Neither will I !!!"