14-05-2025
Golden Retriever Owner Watches Video in Slow-Mo—Realizes Something Is Wrong
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A slow-motion video resulted in a dog owner taking her pet to the vets after she watched back the footage and saw something unexpected.
While throwing her pets some treats, TikToker @lifeisgolden4 filmed the moment to watch back later, but she wasn't expecting what she saw.
In the clip, which now has over 1 million views on TikTok, kibble rains down towards the dogs and as one of the golden retrievers opens his mouth to enjoy the treat, it revealed a stick lodged across his upper jaw.
The text overlay read: "When you make a slo-mo of your golden—but then this is how you figure out there's a stick lodged in his mouth..."
After spotting the stick in the dog's mouth, the owner took him to the vets to be checked out, and in the caption they added: "We took him to the vet and it was removed and he is totally fine!!"
While dogs are famously fond of sticks, veterinary experts have long warned against allowing dogs to play with them. Sticks can cause a range of injuries, from splinters in the gums to serious puncture wounds to the mouth, throat, or even chest. In some cases, dogs have been impaled by upright sticks while running, leading to life-threatening injuries that require surgery.
The British Veterinary Association reported in 2017 that three out of four veterinarians had treated at least one dog for a stick-related injury that year. Swallowed wood fragments can also cause choking, gastrointestinal blockages, or perforations, all of which can have fatal consequences if not treated promptly.
A screenshot from the viral video of the dog with the stick in his mouth.
A screenshot from the viral video of the dog with the stick in his mouth.
@lifeisgolden4/TikTok
As the video gained more attention, people shared reactions in the comments.
Justin wrote: "Ans he's not even acting like he's in pain lol. That's nuts."
While viewer Just Jules said: "Poor angel!!! Did you get it out ok?"
"The same thing happened to our dog," said fellow pet owner @bowers9259. "She was on the bottom step and we were throwing treats to her when we noticed the exact same thing."
"PSA what did we all learn today!" said viewer Feisty Devil. "Please check your babies mouths... and between the toes too."
"Add checking my dogs mouth to my daily list," said Lisa.
This isn't the first time a cautionary tale about a dog and a stick has been shared online. Last year, golden retriever Goob had to have surgery and vet attention totaling over $12,000 after chewing sticks left him with a blockage in his stomach.
Newsweek reached out to @lifeisgolden4 via TikTok for comment.
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