CHASING sticks is a natural thing for dogs to do.

Yet it appears, after all this time, it could now be bad for their health - or certainly their mouths and gullets.

Grace Webster, president of Scotland's British Veterinary Association, advised owners to use rubber toys, balls or flying discs when playing "fetch" to help avoid dogs receiving horrific injuries to their mouths and gullets.

She told The Times: "Throwing sticks for your dog can be dangerous and lead to horrific injuries that can be very distressing for both you and your dog, such as causing cuts to their mouths and tongues or, as in this case, getting the stick lodged in their throat.

"Even when the initial wound is treated, splinters of wood have often got stuck and require subsequent operations."

The advice comes after a collie called Maya got a 10cm stick stuck in her throat, puncturing her tongue and damaging her larynx.

While this is a severe case, Miriam Wilson, head nurse at the PDSA Jeanne Marchig Centre in Lorne Street, Bradford, says pet owners cannot be complacent and believes they should look to alternative toys such as rubber sticks or tennis balls.

Miriam says while in the Bradford PDSA hospital there is only a low percentage of stick injuries, across the PDSA's 51 centres there is regularly one incident a week.

"There are various things that can happen - we haven't had anything as severe where they have punctured a larynx but we have had sticks wedged into their mouth."

She says splinters can be particularly problematic if they find their way into the soft tissue within their mouth or beyond.

Miriam explains it can cause swelling and infection and can result in recurring problems.

"We have had dogs where problems have gone on for months or years," she explains.

"It is the age old thing, it's like people who give their dogs bones."

Miriam says they often pick up through consultations that owners are feeding their dogs bones. This can also pose a potential problem to pets.

While incidents won't happen to everyone, for those who it does happen to, it is devastating, hence why raising awareness when these incidents do happen is imperative.

"The other thing that can occur if you are throwing sticks is if it lodges upwards in the ground dogs can run on to it and puncture their chest.

"Have fun with your dog but go for the alternative," says Miriam, referring to the rubber sticks and other alternative toys available for pets to play with.

A spokesman for the RSPCA says: "To be safe, the RSPCA recommends dog owners throw and play with toys specifically designed for dogs as these can better safeguard dogs and lower the risk of injury that a sharp stick may cause."

Sean Wensley, president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA), said on average one dog a month is treated for an injury from a piece of wood at each of the more than 5,000 veterinary practices in the UK.

Mr Wensley said animals are being impaled by sticks and picking up infections from fragments of wood they ingest, but added that many injuries are preventable.

He said the advice was not about stopping dog owners having fun with their pets, but improving safety.

He said: "What we absolutely don't want is to stop dogs enjoying exercise and play, as the benefits from those are really important for physical health and mental well-being, for both dogs and owners.

"We don't want to stop any of that, just to highlight the problems we see when sticks are used to chase after, and to urge that alternative dog-safe toys are used instead."

Debbie Tinsley, who runs the dog walking service, Walkies Bradford based in Idle, says in the 12 years since they set up they have never had a stick injury but they don't throw sticks for their dogs.

"We don't throw sticks at all for our dogs. A lot of them pick them up as you are walking but they are dangerous when you throw them. If they stick in the mud dogs can injure themselves we just don't condone sticks at all."

Natalie Beaumont, who runs Bradford Dog Walking, based in the city, says she is also aware of the dangers of throwing sticks for dogs and has never done it.

Her advice is to discourage dogs from a young age from chasing sticks and choose alternative toys, such as frisbees, for them to play with instead.