# freak stuff happens, but it still hurts



## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

I know we can't keep our dogs safe from everything. We do what we can but stuff still happens. 
I have some huge white pines in our yard. They are beautiful. The branches come right down to the ground. When they are green and alive they are bouncy and springy and the dogs actually play with them sometimes. When they are dead they are hard brittle spears. Despite my efforts to make sure my yard was clear of these long dangerous branches by breaking them up into much smaller sticks or taking them to another part of my property, one was missed after the last storm. 

It was a long branch with a twist that stuck up from the ground a foot or so. The other end of this spear as stuck in the ground. I had no idea this was under the trees. I did not see when my dog ran into it but he hit it at an angle that was almost lethal. I noticed him in the yard in pain in just minutes...thank God. I think with the quick trip to the emergency vet will keep infection from setting in.

I am amazed at how well my boy handled the pain. If I had a dirty piece of wood the size of a hot dog suddenly shoved into my back, I'd have been a complete mess~
:crying:
I'm posting this as a cautionary tale and as a way to vent. More info Illustrations by Dawn: a #cautionary tale, you can't #protect them from everything


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

That is scary! Very glad he will be all right.


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## squerly (Aug 3, 2008)

OMG, I'm so sorry. Try not to beat yourself up over it, as you said, stuff happens. I hope your pup will be OK.


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## lalabug (Oct 20, 2016)

So scary! Glad you were there and were able to act quickly! This scares me too, I am surrounded by a large wooded area with trees of all kinds. Thank you for posting. Hope your sweet boy is on the mend! <3


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## Suki's Mom (Nov 24, 2008)

Ouch! Poor guy (and poor you!).


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

Glad you boy is ok . No matter how we try stuff still happens.


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

I'm so sorry. It's just impossible. We have an accident prone horse. There can be one stick in the entire field and, somehow, she will manage to find it and hurt herself on it. Take good care of your boy. Sending him hugs and get well wishes.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

So sorry that happened and glad you were there. That is pretty much one of the worst "crap happens" scenarios out there! Glad he's going to be OK.


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## kelbonc (Aug 25, 2014)

Scary for sure but glad to hear your boy is on the mend. Your post made me scan my own yard. We are post ice storm and I noticed one branch down that I need to remove. It may be okay but I'll move it out anyway since my 2 love to run and play out there. So many thanks for sharing and wishes for a speedy recovery sent to your fella. :hug:


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Ouch indeed!So glad he's ok!It was no fault of yours,just a freak accident.Mine and other people's dogs are in the woods and fields daily without incident.Stuff happens no matter how proactive you are


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## Breaker's mom (May 27, 2008)

This is sort of how I lost my beloved Breaker 41/2 years ago. Same scenario, different lethal weapon. 

So glad your pup is gonna be ok.


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

car2ner said:


> I know we can't keep our dogs safe from everything. We do what we can but stuff still happens.
> I have some huge white pines in our yard. They are beautiful. The branches come right down to the ground. When they are green and alive they are bouncy and springy and the dogs actually play with them sometimes. When they are dead they are hard brittle spears. Despite my efforts to make sure my yard was clear of these long dangerous branches by breaking them up into much smaller sticks or taking them to another part of my property, one was missed after the last storm.
> 
> It was a long branch with a twist that stuck up from the ground a foot or so. The other end of this spear as stuck in the ground. I had no idea this was under the trees. I did not see when my dog ran into it but he hit it at an angle that was almost lethal. I noticed him in the yard in pain in just minutes...thank God. I think with the quick trip to the emergency vet will keep infection from setting in.
> ...


Wow! That is freaky. 

I'm really happy things turned out ok!!


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

So glad everything is OK!!! Try not to beat yourself up over it, like you said, it was a freak accident. You know, we all do our best to take care of and protect all those we love, but the only way you can be absolutely sure someone won't get hurt is to wrap them in a bubble and even that is probably not full proof. But it's also no kind of life. I didn't worry about things quite as much when Newlie was younger, but he is between 6-7 now and oh my gosh! Every time he hurls himself into the air to catch a ball, my heart is in my throat.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

newlie said:


> So glad everything is OK!!! Try not to beat yourself up over it, like you said, it was a freak accident. You know, we all do our best to take care of and protect all those we love, but the only way you can be absolutely sure someone won't get hurt is to wrap them in a bubble and even that is probably not full proof. But it's also no kind of life. I didn't worry about things quite as much when Newlie was younger, but he is between 6-7 now and oh my gosh! Every time he hurls himself into the air to catch a ball, my heart is in my throat.


Which reminds me, I am glad that Newlie's mysterious lump was nothing dangerous, either. 


Thanks all, our dogs depend on us for everything and I hate to see my boy with the cone on his head and the staples down his back.


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## ksotto333 (Aug 3, 2011)

Oh my, how scary. It's good to hear he'll be ok.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I felt the same way when Apollo stabbed himself with the wire from the crate. He just missed his heart. It could have ended very differently. Let's just be happy that we noticed these things before it was to late.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

It can happen to anyone. My dog cut one leg open on something in some bushes when running around loose. I looked and dug around for a while to see if it was something sharp or just a freak accident, and never figured out what it was, then had to leave to get I bandaged. My friend's dogs were playing and one turned around and ran into a tree. None of the injuries were serious, but they could have been.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Glad Patton is okay. That had to be quite an ordeal! Max impaled his tonsil catching a stick so painful and so serious.


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## Breaker's mom (May 27, 2008)

I was reading all these comments this morning and started to tear up. Not sure if I am still carrying a lot of guilt or just missing my Breaker still. I mean, it has been 41/2 years! 

Maybe, hopefully, I just did a bit more healing. Thanks all


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

How is your boy doing?


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

Update:

Patton got all of the staples out today. No sign of infection or back damage. Looks like once his fur grows back in, you won't even know he had such a bad injury. Yeah for our local emergency vet! And good follow up with our regular vet.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Lucky dog and you too. A similar thing happened to Deja when she went after a ball (she does everything for 200%) last year and stepped on a piece of wood sticking out from a tree stump. It broke off and pierced her foot through and through, missing every tendon and blood vessel. (she healed well)
Now I only release her on a danger free path. If I mess up she will have to stay and I get the ball/toy first.
My Whippet in the past landed on a piece of wood and it pierced his skin alongside the rib cage. It would have killed him instantly if it had gone through the rib cage itself.

Dogs usually go after toys/prey in a way 'the crow flies' so you generally can predict their path. Never let them go until you know their path is clear. This does require solid impulse control.


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## maxtmill (Dec 28, 2010)

So glad he is healing well! How scarey! No matter how careful we are, accidents can happen. We had two beautiful white pines in our yard in PA, and what worried me was all the huge pinecones that fell every year. I had my kids pick them up by the bushel, but our one Boxer loved to chew them, and always seemed to find one we missed! Our other Boxer left them alone, but a porcupine ended her life  We can only do our best to protect our dogs!


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

update: Happiness. My boy is all healed up and the fur is growing back over the scar. He is much more cautious under our pine trees and has gotten over being alone in the front yard (I do watch him from the window...he just likes to taunt me to stay outside when it is time to go back in). 
It was cold and windy today so we did some indoor work / play


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## Traveler's Mom (Sep 24, 2012)

I grew a coconut tree from a coconut. Took forever to grow but once I saw those big hard coconuts dangling over Traveler's head, the tree came down in a heartbeat.

I was so proud of that tree but the possibility of him getting conked on the head scared me. Coconuts drop when they are ripe.


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