A dog had a lucky escape after swallowing a fishing hook while out on a walk with his owner. Before his owner knew something was amiss, Buddy, a 12-year-old Norwich Terrier, had gobbled up a discarded fishing tackle – with the toggle caught in his teeth and the hook piercing his oesophagus.
Buddy’s owner, Helen Riley, said she was reduced to tears by the ordeal in Countesthorpe Country Park. She rushed her beloved pet to Park Vets to remove the foreign the object, which was done while Buddy was under anaesthetic with an otoscope and forceps.
The Countesthorpe resident is now trying to highlight the dangers of “carelessly” leaving fishing equipment behind so other pet owners can avoid the trauma. She said: “The local council are being proactive after Buddy’s mishap and, hopefully, if further action can develop, then it may prevent this from happening to other dogs.”
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Helen praised the expert team at Linnaeus-owned Park Vet Group for their “meticulous” care of her beloved Buddy. Describing the incident, she said: “I cried because I was extremely worried. He is my best buddy and I love him so much.
“He was on his lead and enjoying walking through the grass next to the pond when he suddenly sniffed something out. I tried pulling him away but he took a big gulp and then started hacking.
“He did it a few times and stopped. We continued walking, but within a minute, he was hacking again.
“I then noticed the line from a fishing hook was dangling from his mouth. The toggle had caught in his teeth but I couldn’t see where the hook was, so I raced home, rang the vets, and tried to keep calm.”
Helen said she was in shock while an X-ray was carried out, showing the extent of Buddy’s injuries. She was told she carried out the correct actions by leaving the line in and not cutting it, as it could’ve gone down into his stomach and required surgery to remove.
They were later transferred to Park Vets’ Glenfield animal hospital site for an endoscopy. She continued: “I didn’t know if it would be successful or if Buddy would require surgery but the vet at Glenfield was also very calm and reassuring.
“When I returned home to await news, I felt lifeless, as though I’d been hit by a truck. The adrenaline was wearing off. When the vet phoned later, it was a blessing to hear everything was fine and the hook had been safely removed.
“Now, Buddy is back to his normal self again, barking at pigeons on the roof, at buses and staring at me for food all day!”
Park Vets practice manager Harriet Tims said: “You could clearly see the fishing hook on the X-ray following his sedation at our Whetstone surgery and he was safely transferred to our Glenfield site.
“He was given a full anaesthetic and the fishing line and hook were removed using an otoscope and forceps. Buddy made a full recovery and went home the same evening.
“Sadly, this is quite a common concern for dogs going for walks along a canal or by a lake. They sniff and taste things which may have bait on them, often left with hooks attached.
“Thankfully, Buddy’s owner was fast-acting and got him to us for treatment before it moved down into his stomach or caused any puncture injuries.”
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