Sharp and with a nasty barb, fishhooks do not look terribly appetising to me. Dr Michael Baer writes.

But I am not a fish, so I guess that is to be expected. 

And there is always bait. 

Maybe if there was a steak on the end of it, I would be more susceptible.  Even fish need something to attract them to the hook.  But I doubt it.

Cats and dogs are not as discerning.  Even fish need something to attract them to the hook.  But dogs and cats will happily siphon up the tiniest scrap of dried bait left on a hook.  They pick the hook up, thinking it is more than just a morsel of food on a piece of steel.  It is only when they are hooked through a lip, or a cheek, that they discover the truth.  The next step is usually to get tangled in the line attached to the eye of the hook.  Because why just have one problem?  See if you can tie your front foot to the hook through your lower lip.  Good effort that.

Taking fishhooks out is never as easy as you would hope.  Fish seem to be able to spit them out as easy as pie, at least when I am on the other end of the line.  Not so dogs and cats.  Hooks tend to get lodged and the barb will cause a ridiculous sized tear if they manage to pull it out.  Usually we need to give a full anaesthetic, push the hook all the way through, cut the point and barb off, and then pull the rest out. 

Easy.  But those hooks are … strong, and they can make a big mess.

On the odd occasion the fishing line can be a useful part of the whole picture.  If cats or dogs really take the bait, swallowing the whole thing, all you see is the line at the corner of their mouths.  Not a great sight.  Whatever you do, don’t pull on the line!  The hook can lodge in or penetrate something vital. Getting that out can be impossible.  We usually start with an x-ray, to check where the hook has got to.  Is it in the stomach?  Did it get that far?  Is it already lodged?  Then we head to surgery.  Opening the stomach or intestines or chest and removing the hook and the line.  The line can now be a real problem; it can cut through tissue like cheese wire.  Nasty.

Recently I found another way to catch a cat with a fishhook.  Well, a lure and two hooks really.  This poor wild cat ran through some fishing tackle and one of the hooks caught her front leg.  In her struggles she managed to hook her opposite back leg with the other hook.  Essentially, she had her hand tied to her opposite foot.  And she was as mobile as you would expect! 

Fishhooks and fishing line are a common sight at the clinic.  If you are heading out fishing, please try for tuna or marlin, not dogs and cats.