On National Fishing Day (Tue 18 June) vets from PDSA, the UK’s leading vet charity, are asking fishers to dispose of equipment carefully after a dog needed emergency surgery when he got a large fish hook impaled through his mouth.
Two-year-old crossbreed, Bryn, was out on a routine walk with his owner Paul (60) earlier this year when things took a sudden turn. Paul’s wife, Susan (57), explained: “Paul had taken Bryn to the woods for some exercise. Bryn had run ahead. A few moments later, he came back to Paul with this horrific hook stuck through the corner of his mouth. Paul didn’t know for sure what happened, but he didn’t stop to investigate.”
Paul knew Bryn needed urgent care, so he rushed him back to the car and contacted Sheffield PDSA Pet Hospital straight away. He also called Susan to let her know what had happened and the couple, who are both retired, got to PDSA as quickly as they could.
Susan continued: “I went to meet my husband at the Pet Hospital, I was horrified when I saw the size of the hook in Bryn’s mouth. But then Paul told me there was a large part of it inside his mouth too that I couldn’t see at first glance. I felt sick, worrying about what would happen next and if Bryn would be okay.”
At PDSA the vet team carefully examined Bryn’s mouth to understand the injuries the hooks had caused. Bryn is just one of 249 emergency cases that PDSA treats every 24 hours across its Pet Hospitals, and every second counts to get them the critical care they need.
Sophie Widdowson, a Vet Surgeon at the Pet Hospital, said: “Three prongs of a hook were embedded inside and outside Bryn’s mouth, so we knew we would have to anesthetise him. While Bryn was under general anaesthetic, we needed to use large bolt cutters and a surgical blade to safely remove the double-barbed hook. We then closed the wound with stitches so it could heal properly in the coming weeks.
“Luckily, Bryn’s surgery went well, and he was able to go home later that day with pain relief medication.”
For Susan and Paul, Bryn’s safe return to the family home signalled the end of a frightening ordeal. Susan added: “We have used PDSA before; they are a godsend. I’m very grateful that they were there to help Bryn during a scary time. Without them, I would have gotten into debt to afford the cost of Bryn’s treatment.”
PDSA, which provides free and low-cost vet care for pets of owners who are struggling financially, is seeing increasing demand for its charitable veterinary services. Relying solely on generous public donations, PDSA needs support now more than ever – visit www.pdsa.org.uk/24hours to see how you can help.
“I can’t praise PDSA enough for their speed and efficiency. They saw Bryn straight away and treated him very quickly. The vet we spoke to was very gentle, always making sure that Bryn was comfortable and calm. He was very polite, friendly, and reassuring, which was also a great comfort to us.
“In less than four hours, Bryn was home and already on the road to a full recovery. It was a five-star service from the whole PDSA team.”
As the vet charity for pets in need, every single day pets come through PDSA’s doors in desperate need of care and attention. It costs PDSA around £200,000 to run its charitable veterinary services for 24 hours, and although no day in one of their 49 Pet Hospitals is ever the same, there is one common theme – demand on their services is increasing. Their vital vet care provides a lifeline when owners have nowhere else to turn, keeping much-loved pets together with their owners.
