Vet nurse issues urgent warning: This popular game could be fatal for our beloved dogs

Most of us would do anything for our beloved dogs but could one of our oldest and favourite games actually be hurting our furry friends?

Well, potentially yes, according to a vet nurse who revealed why you should never use a stick when playing fetch, and find an alternative.

In a video shared to TikTok, Jade the Vet Nurse issued the warning and told her viewers how thrown sticks can even lead to death in some cases.

“I am afraid to say that sticks can actually be very dangerous for your dogs and they are not a suitable toy for your dogs,” she explained.

The vet nurse went on to say that when you throw a stick in the air, it will often spin and sometimes land with one end of the stick stuck into the ground and the other end sticking upwards.

“What happens when your dog comes running towards it at a really high speed, they use their mouth to grab it and basically this bit [the top end of the stick] can go through the roof of their mouth and into their brain which will be fatal,” she elaborated.

@jade.the.vet.nurs Please don’t throw sticks for your dogs❗️ Sticks can be very dangerous for dogs to play with causing trauma to the inside of their mouth or leaving splinters inside your dogs oesophagus, stomach and/or intestines needing surgery to remove them. In rare and unfortunate cases, once thrown some sticks can get lodged in the ground at a dangerous angle meaning when your dog runs towards it at a high speed they can end up impaling themselves through the roof of their mouth which can either be exceptionally painful or even fatal. Overall sticks are not a good or safe toy for your dog to play with and I encourage you to find a safer alternative. (Note: all of my content is based on my own personal opinions, research and experiences and does not reflect that of the entire veterinary industry.) #vet#vetnurset#veterinarynursen#rvnt#vetnurseadviceg#dogg#dogtokg#dogsoftiktokg#dogparentg#dogownertipsi#sticksg#dogtoyn#dontu#educatep#fyp ♬ original sound – Jade The Vet Nurse

However, it’s not the only thing we need to be concerned about after a US-based pet owner shared some crucial advice on recognising an all-important sign that your dog’s life is in danger.

Taking to Tik Tok, she shared the helpless feeling of being completely in the dark about what was ailing her cherished dog and how other pet owners can avoid this in the future.

“If you have a dog, this info could save their life,” Sutton said.

“I learned about this the hard way last week when my dog went into cardiac arrest… One small thing that you can easily check I had never known after owning my dog for years.”

Sutton realised that her dog was grumpier than usual due to the lack of oxygen. She pointed out that a lack of oxygen will make a person turn blue, alerting those nearby that they need assistance.

She said, “But a dog has no exposed skin which means they could be suffocating due to an invisible medical condition right next to you and you can have no idea.”

Sutton went on to explain that the best way to check if your dog is lacking oxygen in their body is to inspect their tongue.

“During her cardiac arrest, my dog’s tongue turned almost black,” Sutton explained.

“If a dog is losing oxygen or having low oxygen intake due to health issues, their tongue will turn darker purple or blue.”

Fortunately for Sutton, her precious pooch survived her ordeal and she can now rest easy having learnt the tell-tale signs of cardiac arrest and oxygen deficiency in her dog should it ever happen again.