Curly is a 6 year old dog. She was zooming around the backyard when she impaled herself on a stick. It is important to not remove an impaled object at home, and to wait until you arrive at the hospital. Impaled objects create a puncture wound put pressure on that same wound from the inside, controlling bleeding. By removing the impaled object, you run the risk of triggering bleeding that now cannot be stopped with external pressure.
Curly was lucky that the stick penetrated her arm. If it had been a couple of inches to the left, it could have entered her chest cavity, causing life-threatening injuries. If there had been a penetrating wound to the chest cavity, open-chest surgery would have been required to explore the extent of the injuries and properly clean and repair the wound. That level of care (open-chest surgery, critical care, hospitalization) would have added another magnitude of expense.
This is a great reminder to everyone that medical insurance for pets is VERY IMPORTANT. Accidents can happen out of the blue, even to young and healthy pets.
Curly was lucky that this wasn't more serious.
PET MEDICAL INSURANCE
Having good medical insurance is highly recommended and can be life-saving in situations of catastrophic illness and injury. View the Pet Insurance Comparison Chart to compare the pet insurances and pick the one that best suits your needs.
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