# dogs and fish hooks



## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

It happened a couple years ago when my 3 yr old Dixie was a puppy. I had her at a public lake in a park in a rural area near here. I have my girls out every day training. I had set my launcher up on a point out into the lake and had Dixie around on the shore. I launched a bumper and sent Dixie for it. about half way there she started struggling and headed back for shore.. I ran for her but i could see that when she came out of the water there was a fishing lure with two treble hooks hooked in her chest.. she reached down and pulled it out. but then she had it hooked in her lip.. she paniced and ran for the truck. I caught up with her and lifted her onto the tailgate and she settled down. Now stupid me thinks maybe I can back it out of her lip. When i try she jerks and ..yep.. the other treble hook buries itself in my left thumb and index finger. So now I am attached to this 8 month old pup via a fishing lure with one treble hook in her and the other one in me and my index finger and thumb of my left hand welded together.. I couldnt believe how quiet and calm this usual bundle of energy sat still. I managed to get my other dog to load up in the back of the truck and closed the tailgate and camper shell somehow. i then carried dixie in my arms to the cab and opened the door and sled in and laid her in my lap... she doesnt move a muscle.. got the truck started and headed for some people I knew's house just a short distance away. I pulled into the driveway and leaned on the horn. Husband and wife come out and come to my window and looked in. The lady about fainted and ran in the house. I asked the husband for some cutters to cut these hooks. thank god he had some and i was able to cut the lure in half and get us seperated. whew... i then worked on dixies treble hook and got the other two hooks that were not in her cut off... then i put her in her crate in back. meanwhile, the lady had dialed 911 and a deputy sheriff, ambulance, and animal control show up. (I promise you this is absolutely true..word for word).. well, there was no need for the deputy so he went on his way... the animal control lady wanted to take Dixie and I said no way.. i was taking her to my vet.. the ambulance guys tried for a while to the the hook out of me, but just made it worse.. 
so i drove dixie to my vet and dropped her off and took myself to the emergency room and (im not going to tell that story but it is almost as good as the previous) got my hook removed.. got meds and went back to the vets who had removed dixie's hook (I should have let the vet take mine out) and she had her meds.. 
It could have been really bad if Dixie had not remained so quiet and calm through it all. This is a little field bred fireball, but she seemed to understand that she needed to remain quiet. 
I now do NOT let my dogs swim where there is a high concentration of fishing.. and I always have a good pair of diagnol cutters in the truck. 
I have helped another guy get a treble hook out of his dog and know one guy who's dog found discarded bait with a hook in it and swallowed it...dog had to be operated on to get the hook out.. 
use caution where there is fishing..


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

Thanks Greg. We plan on taking Lucky to the lake this summer and in truth...I hadn't even thought about all the fishing lures and hooks hanging around. I'm so sorry your Dixie and you went through that. Horrible.


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## Goldndust (Jul 30, 2005)

I woulda been freaking out! That would scare me to no end. I don't think I would be good in a situation like that at all. Glad it all worked out and everyone was ok.

I worked Kode last summer at the boat ramp and too the side a bit, one time some goof ball came over talking to me as Kode was out in the water retrieving and I watching him, and next thing I see he puts his line out:doh: Some people just don't think sometimes:no:


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

It doesn't just happen at the water. Now that this has come up I will tell our our encounter with dog and fish hook.

Was March 1990 and we had just moved into this house on Thursday. On Saturday we were in the garage trying to get things straighened up, get some shelves up, etc. My Irish Setter was out there with us and he was so good, mostly just laying and watching. Then suddenly i saw him violently shaking his head--and wire coming from his mouth. HEART BE STILL. I knew at once it was a steel leader with a hook on the other end--the end in his mouth.

I rushed in and called the vet we had used in the next town about 6 miles down the road (had lived their 2 years before buying this house). No answer, not answering service, nothing. So, called the vet in this town--same thing. Called the vet in the town 5 miles up the road--same thing. By then i was in a panic. Got the phone book and found there was a 24 hour, 7 day a week emergency hospital in Corpus--it was 25 miles from here to that hospital.

I rode in the back seat with Boots and tried to keep him from chewing or shaking his head. Just as we pulled into the parking lot, the wire with just the hook eye and tiny piece of the hook came out of his mouth. We are not talking little perch hooks, we are talking hooks to catch big salt water fish--reds, black drum, speck trout, etc-- on.

Well, he vet put Boots under so he could cut his tongue and remove the remainder of the hook. He had to x-ray the mouth and went ahead and did the stomach and throat as well to make sure none of it was lodged anywhere else--it wasn't. Put Boots on antibitics, plus gave him a shot.

Need i say my boy had a very sore tongue for several days. I pureed his food so there would be nothing hard to hurt his tongue. And you can bet your bottom dollar we make sure ALL HOOKS, etc are in the tackle box, etc where no dog can get them. We never did know how that one happened to be where Boots could get it.


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## shaneamber (Apr 20, 2005)

Whew!! These stories had the hair on my arms standing up on end. Thank God you were all so level headed,these could have ended in tragedy.
I will be more aware of this know,Thanks for the heads up,
Shane


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

Oh, I did forget to mention that the vet in this town sold his practise about 3-4 years later and moved to Australia--his wife was Australian. The vet that bought him out is the vet that have now that has 24 hour emergency and COMES when called. He has an associate now--been without for about a year as his old one went back into the army--and they take turns being on call all night. BUT if one of us old time clients like me really wants him instead of the other doc, he comes.

I have had to call him emergency twice--the time KayCee had her bad reaction to vax (we had been the last clinets that day), and the night Buck got bit in the face by the rattle snake. And he was there as needed.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

You know, i don't think I have told the story of Boots and the fish hook on any board before. I had more or less forgotten it and Gregs post reminded me. Goodness, i have been thru a lot with my dogs in 60 years--well 50 years of owning my own...distemper, shot, hit by car, run over by car, poisoned, heart worms, heart worm treatment, rattle snake bite, reaction to wasp sting, reaction to vax, AIHA due to PH6, knee surgeries, thyroid, HD, fish hook in tongue, badly cut foot on oyster shells, vertigo episode with inner ear infection, etc, etc. And with all I have been thru, on these great forums i learn even more. How great they are for sharing, for learning, for friendship.


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## MegB (Jul 19, 2005)

3 Goldens, maybe your vet should name a wing of the building after you and your family!


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## FranH (May 8, 2005)

O-M-G...........

That story is so scary. We take our dogs to Jupiter beach near a fishing pier. After reading this, I'm not sure it's worth the risk. Thanks so much for your story.


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## PeggyK (Apr 16, 2005)

We had a similar thing happen many years ago-1988. Our puppy, Boomer picked up a fish hook that our 11yr old forgot to put back in his tackle box. Boomer picked it up and it went through his lip-when I picked him up he went CRAZY and hooked his paw to one of the hooks-so now he was paw to lure to lip!!!!!! What a nightmare!!! We rushed him to the vet(with me holding him VERY tightly so he couldn't move) and the vet was able to cut the hook!! I had completey forgotten this incident until I read the post!!!!! Thank goodness it worked out well for Dixie-maybe wire cutters should be in our vehicles when we go to lakes, etc.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

Meg, I agree with you--I often tell him I own about 15% interest in his hospital--he built a brand new one 5 years ago, all up to date and modern. he even has heated operated tables. I never even had THAT kind of treatment in OR. He also has ICU/recovery cages with floors that can be heated. Has in house lab, completely seperate Isolation, etc. HE can board up to 80 dogs and cats and the cages are stainless steel with drain in floor of each, a little shelf for a bed (if the dog is use to lseeping on furniture. He has 3 sizes of cages. The exercise area is a totally walled in area--brick wall 7 feet tall, no gates. In the front there is the desk, a large half circle. on side is the dogs waiting area, on the other side the cat's waiting area. he has 4 exam rooms.

Office calls just went up to $28, but that isn't bad considering our electric rates just sky rocketed--I am paying twice what i did 3 years ago for same amount of electrity. Taxes just went up to build a new school, and of course our insurance just went up after the hurricanes. BUT if you just brin a dog in for a vax, there is no office call and you only pay for the vax.

Wire cutters would have done us no good with Boots. That hook was buried past the barb about half way back of his tongue. SHUDDER, SHUDDER, just thinking about it it.


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