Dog owner thanks ‘hero’ vet for saving pet’s life after she swallowed fish hook

A dog owner has thanked Paragon for saving her beloved pet’s life after she swallowed a fish hook

Three-year-old Cocker Spaniel Lady was on a walk at Fairburn Ings, near her Castleford home, when she ate the hook and fishing line, which had been discarded on the floor.

Owner Laura Hinchliffe rushed her to her local vet practice where an X-ray revealed the hook was wedged in Lady’s oesophagus, close to her heart.

She was referred to Paragon Veterinary Referrals for surgery that afternoon.

Paragon’s internal medicine resident Sophie Aspinall carried out an endoscopy to retrieve the hook, with Lady well enough to come home the following day.

Sophie said: “X-rays showed a fish hook in the oesophagus, so the best course of action was to carry out an endoscopy to remove it. This is a delicate procedure and could have been very challenging if the hook had torn the oesophagus, but luckily this didn’t happen.

“We managed to remove the hook with no complications and we’re delighted that Lady made a full recovery and is back enjoying her walks again.”

Laura said: “We were nearing the end of Lady’s walk when she picked up something which I thought was a biscuit. I then realised she had a clear piece of fishing line down her throat, and I had no idea if there was a hook at the end of it.

“X-rays showed there was indeed a hook, and it was wedged close to her heart. Thankfully she was referred straight to Paragon for surgery which was a huge success. Soon Lady was completely normal, eating, running around and playing again.

“Paragon were absolutely amazing. Sophie gave us an update as soon as Lady was out of surgery and told us the procedure went well and that Lady would survive. Sophie made a difficult time much easier – she is our hero.”

Laura is now urging people not to drop litter to prevent similar incidents.

She added: “If you go fishing, please pick up your litter. Lady and I were at a wildlife reserve where there’s horse riders, bird watchers, dog walkers and fishermen. We should all be considerate of the other activities taking place and be mindful of each other.”

Paragon provides expert care in anaesthesia and analgesia, cardiology, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics and soft tissue surgery.