Fishing gear can cause fatal injuries to pets | Ararat advertiser
way of life,
Failure to properly dispose of fishing gear can present dangers to animals, both wild and domestic. Some animals get caught in fishing lines, while others – attracted to a fishy scent – ingest hooks, lures, sinkers, lines, or all of the above. Animal encounters with fishing gear can result in injuries ranging from minor to fatal. I recently treated Maple, a two year old cocker spaniel, for a hook injury. Earlier that day, her owners had taken her for a walk along the waterfront, where they noticed a few people fishing but didn’t think much of it. Maple, however, was intrigued. She could smell the bait and the fish. Its owners kept it away from fishermen, but Maple explored the surrounding waterfront. It wasn’t until after they got home that the Maple owner noticed a piece of metal sticking out of his lip. Maple continued to try to dislodge him with his tongue, to no avail. She presented to us shortly before the clinic closed on a Sunday evening, and it didn’t take long to make a diagnosis: Maple had a 4.5-centimeter-long barbed hook lodged in her upper lip. . The beard itself was firmly anchored in his flesh. Because the hooks are usually barbed wire, they cannot be simply pulled out. Fortunately, its owners had not attempted to remove it themselves. Maple required general anesthesia and minor surgery to remove the hook. Once I was able to remove the rusty hook, I rinsed the wound with saline solution. I administered antibiotics and pain relievers. Maple is fortunate to have made a full recovery thanks to relatively minor surgery. If she had swallowed the hook, she might have needed an endoscopy, or even major surgery, to remove it from her esophagus, stomach or intestines. Hooks are known to penetrate vital internal structures, such as major blood vessels. This can be life threatening for animals that swallow them. This includes wildlife. Opportunistic scavengers like turtles typically ingest hooks from the environment. They can also ingest hooks from captured and released fish. It is not a rare event. In some studies, about a third of the turtles sampled at random had swallowed hooks (as found on x-rays). This is bad for the welfare of individual animals, but also of great concern when it impacts vulnerable populations. Many wild animals die from the ingestion of objects that humans carelessly throw away. If you see an animal with a hook caught in its mouth, don’t try to remove it. Consult a veterinarian immediately. Likewise, if you see an animal swallowing fishing gear or fish that may contain a hook, see a veterinarian immediately. If you are concerned about the welfare of wildlife, contact your local wildlife rescue organization, such as WIRES. Owners who walk their dogs in fishing areas should be very careful about the risk of poorly discarded fishing equipment. If you are fishing, do not leave fishing gear unattended. Place used hooks in a sturdy, sealed container and dispose of properly. Never leave hooks, lures, baits or fishing lines behind you. Fish with hooks should not be released. For capture and release, use barbless hooks.
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Failure to properly dispose of fishing gear can present dangers to animals, both wild and domestic.
Some animals get caught in fishing lines, while others – attracted to a fishy scent – ingest hooks, lures, sinkers, lines, or all of the above.
Animal encounters with fishing gear can result in injuries ranging from minor to fatal.
Animal encounters with fishing gear can result in injuries ranging from minor to fatal.
I recently treated Maple, a two year old cocker spaniel, for a hook injury.
Earlier that day, her owners had taken her for a walk along the waterfront, where they noticed a few people fishing but didn’t think much of it.
Maple, however, was intrigued. She could smell the bait and the fish.
Its owners kept it away from fishermen, but Maple explored the surrounding waterfront.
It wasn’t until after they got home that the Maple owner noticed a piece of metal sticking out of his lip.
Maple continued to try to dislodge him with his tongue, to no avail.
She presented to us shortly before the clinic closed on a Sunday evening, and it didn’t take long to make a diagnosis: Maple had a 4.5-centimeter-long barbed hook lodged in her upper lip. .
The beard itself was firmly lodged in his flesh. Because the hooks are usually barbed wire, they cannot be simply pulled out.
Fortunately, its owners had not attempted to remove it themselves.
Maple required general anesthesia and minor surgery to remove the hook.
Once I was able to remove the rusty hook, I rinsed the wound with saline solution. I administered antibiotics and pain relievers.
Maple is fortunate to have made a full recovery thanks to relatively minor surgery.
If she had swallowed the hook, she might have needed an endoscopy, or even major surgery, to remove it from her esophagus, stomach or intestines.
Hooks are known to penetrate vital internal structures, such as major blood vessels.
This can be life threatening for animals that swallow them.
Opportunistic scavengers like turtles typically ingest hooks from the environment.
They can also ingest hooks from captured and released fish.
It is not a rare event.
In some studies, about a third of the turtles sampled at random had swallowed hooks (as found on x-rays).
This is bad for the welfare of individual animals, but also of great concern when it impacts vulnerable populations.
Many wild animals die from the ingestion of objects that humans carelessly throw away.
If you see an animal with a hook caught in its mouth, don’t try to remove it.
Consult a veterinarian immediately.
Likewise, if you see an animal swallowing fishing gear or fish that may contain a hook, see a veterinarian immediately.
If you are concerned about the welfare of wildlife, contact your local wildlife rescue organization, such as WIRES.
Owners who walk their dogs in fishing areas should be very careful about the risk of poorly discarded fishing equipment.
If you are fishing, do not leave fishing gear unattended.
Place used hooks in a sturdy, sealed container and dispose of properly.
Never leave hooks, lures, baits or fishing lines behind you.
Fish with hooks should not be released. For capture and release, use barbless hooks.
- Dr Anne Quain BVSc (Hons), MANZCVS (Animal welfare), Dip ECAWBM (AWSEL) is a senior lecturer at the Sydney School of Veterinary Science and a practicing veterinarian.