Animal

Yorkshire terrier survives op after swallowing razor-sharp fish hook


  • An adorable Yorkshire terrier called Teddy is lucky to be alive after swallowing a razor-sharp fish hook.
  • The little dog has undergone intense surgery and now has a battle scar stretching from its throat right down to its belly.
  • Teddy was rushed to the Animal Welfare Shelter, where it underwent surgery to have the fish hook removed.

An adorable little Yorkshire Terrier named Teddy from Marina da Gama in Cape Town is very lucky to be alive after swallowing a razor-sharp fish hook.

The fish hook was attached to a metal swivel on a fishing line. Teddy’s owner, Cheryl Cost, said the dog is always with her during the day, but somehow managed to slip out and sit on her daughter’s fishing bag last Thursday.

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Her daughter first noticed Teddy sitting awkwardly on her tackle bag, with a length of “thread” dangling from its mouth. She immediately suspected the dog had swallowed a hook. It was then that they noticed a piece of the fish hook sticking out of its mouth.

Cost rushed Teddy to their local vet, who recommended she take the dog to the Animal Welfare Society (AWS) of South Africa.

The hook, line and swivel had firmly been logged in Teddy’s oesophagus and the only way to safely remove it was through surgery.

Surgery to remove fish hook. (Supplied by AWS)

X-ray of Teddy.

“Teddy is lucky to be alive,” AWS spokesperson Allan Perrins said.

A set of X-rays was taken and showed that the fishing tackle had travelled all the way down into Teddy’s stomach.

They decided that the operation could not be delayed for fear of the hook becoming lodged in Teddy’s abdomen, or nylon becoming tangled in his gut.

Teddy was on the operating table for quite some time as the team carefully extracted first the hook, then the line and finally the swivel. The dog received stitches, and the operation was pronounced a success.

“Teddy spent four days at the shelter before he was given the all-clear to go back home,” Perrins said.

Teddy weighs 5kg and managed to recover quite remarkably after the fishy escapade.

Teddy the Yorkshire terrier.

Teddy the Yorkshire terrier.

Perrins said when the staff handed Teddy over to its owner on Monday, she was informed of the dangers of leaving fishing tackle around the house, especially where there are animals.

Teddy has stitches from the throat right down to the belly button, but that has not stopped it from being its usual playful self.

“Teddy is so much part of the family, and we are so thankful that his surgery was a success and that he’s now back home with us,” Cost said.

Perrins said accidents happen all the time but there is “no excuse” for carelessness or negligence.

“Animals cannot distinguish between what is harmless and harmful. That is the duty of the pet owner,” he said.

Pet owners have a duty of care that comes with the privilege of pet ownership. Most companion animals are naturally inquisitive and will keenly explore anything they perceive to be interesting.

Leaving potentially dangerous or hazardous objects within easy reach of a curious pet is a recipe for disaster and can cause harm.

“Fishing tackle is especially dangerous to all animals, not just domestic pets,” Perrins said.

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