Spaniel recovers following fish hook scare

A young dog who swallowed a fish hook is back to full fitness, following referral and emergency treatment.

Specialist vets at the Hospital for Small Animals were able to retrieve the three-pronged hook from the springer spaniel’s stomach without the need for surgery.

Vets have shared guidance for dog owners and vets, stressing that without prompt, correct management, fish hook ingestion accidents can be life-threatening.

Urgent referral

Chip, a lively three-year-old dog, was on a loch-side walk in Dumfriesshire when he grabbed discarded fishing bait and swallowed it before his owner could react. Almost immediately, Chip began coughing and had blood in his mouth.

His owner took Chip immediately to their local vet, who took X-rays which showed a fish hook in Chip’s oesophagus. 

Chip was urgently referred to the Hospital for Small Animals, where the Internal Medicine team removed the hook using an endoscope. By then, the hook had slipped into Chip’s stomach, making retrieval more complex, though still feasible with the use of a protecting cup. The Soft Tissue Surgery team also sutured a laceration on the dog’s tongue. The young dog recovered quickly and was discharged the following day.

Common emergency

Cases such as Chip’s are not restricted to the fishing season, as the Hospital sees emergency referrals of dogs who have swallowed fish hooks throughout the year.

Within the same week as Chip’s case, the Internal Medicine team treated two further dogs who had also swallowed fish hooks. One of these cases involved two hooks: one embedded in the lip and another swallowed. This highlights for owners and vets that multiple hooks may be present even when any that are visible are removed.

Fish hook danger

Unlike many foreign bodies, fish hooks rarely pass safely. Their barbs can anchor into tissue, causing severe trauma to the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, or intestines. Fishing lines add further risk, as these can rip into tissue if tension is applied, and damage the chest and stomach. Incorrect handling can rapidly turn a survivable injury into a life-threatening one.

Owner advice

Fish hook ingestion should always be treated as an emergency. Never pull on or cut fishing line or attempt to remove a hook yourself.

Seek immediate veterinary attention if, following access to fishing areas, your dog shows the following signs:

• Retching, coughing, or repeated swallowing
• Sudden distress or vocalisation
• Fishing line hanging from the mouth
• Breathing difficulties.

Vet advice

Early decisions at primary care level can directly influence outcome:

• Do not pull on or cut fishing line unless hook is fully visible within the oral cavity and can be locally retrieved under sedation / general anaesthesia
• Take cervical, thoracic and abdominal radiographs—hooks are usually clearly visible
• Use point-of-care ultrasound where available
• Look for complications such as free abdominal gas or fluid
• Refer urgently for endoscopic assessment
• Leave the line intact and secure it to a neck collar, protected by an Elizabethan collar, to prevent migration while travelling to a referral hospital
• Provide appropriate pain relief and mild sedation for transport.

Cutting the line prematurely may allow the hook to migrate into the stomach or intestines, potentially ruling out endoscopic removal and necessitating surgery.