Fishing Lures
Jessie, a young red kelpie, lay on the table looking guilty and pleading. She couldn’t move. Jessie’s owner had gone fishing the day before and had a very successful day. Tired and exhausted when he came home, he put his catch in the freezer and left most of his fishing gear on the back veranda. Late at night Jessie had investigated and found a deliciously smelling object, which she tried to eat, and now she was caught.
The fishing lure had hooked her tongue and lips and had caught her front feet when she tried to remove it. She was totally hooked. She couldn’t move a muscle without hurting. She had lain hooked up in the back yard since last night but had suffered in silence. Maybe the guilt of playing with dad’s favourite toys made her too embarrassed to alert him to her situation. Her owner had found her trapped lying down behind his esky and rushed her straight down.
I gave Jessie an anaesthetic so the offending fishing lure could be removed. The wounds were flushed and cleaned and Jessie recovered quickly and was able to go home about an hour after arriving.
Fishing lures are very attractive to dogs especially if they have not been cleaned. Dogs caught in barb-less lures can often be removed by the owner, and are much less likely to ensnare your pet (or fish though). Dogs caught in lures with barbs almost always require an anaesthetic to remove them.
Whilst in general the damage they inflict is not overly serious they are painful and are an unpleasant sequel to a relaxing fishing trip. Prevention is by keeping fishing gear out of reach of your dog. Generally cats are cautious enough not to get caught up, but particularly with baited hooks the temptation can be too much.
I have also treated dogs that went fishing with their owners and jumped up and caught the lure or bait when their owner has gone to cast. Of course the dogs that jump in after the lure have the possibility of meeting up with a crocodile. So be careful if you take your dog on a fishing trip.