Attention on the beach

Playing and have a run on the beach is great fun for our four-legged friends, but it has a considerable risk as it often results in the ingestion of abandoned or washed up fishing hooks. The hooks sometimes still have a piece of bait attached which is just very attractive for the dogs to eat. 

Now, if you see a nylon thread hanging out of the dogs mouth, it’s very important not to pull as the hook could be drilled in the mucosa of the esophagus/ stomach or you could cause this by pulling from the string. You should very carefully have a look at the dog’s oral cavity to see if you can see a hook. If this is not the case you should shorten the thread so the dog can’t step on it or get stuck somewhere with it. You can leave it just long enough to attach to the dog’s collar. 

You then should necessarily take the dog to a veterinary clinic to see by X-Ray if there is a hook and where it is located (esophagus/stomach). The hook might be removed with endoscopy but in some cases this is not possible and it must be removed surgically. What if I do nothing- could it just come out by itself? The danger of swallowing fishing hooks is that it can damage the mucosa of the digestive system and even can get stuck and perforate. This then can cause peritonitis which could be mortal.

We recommend to put a muzzle on the dog when walking him/her on the beach. Also, you must know that in some areas it is forbidden to take animals to the beach. This depends on each town hall and you should get informed before walking your dog on the beach.