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Vets urge fishing safety after dog’s injury
Three prongs of the fish hook had impaled Bryn's mouth,
A two-year-old dog was impaled on a fish hook while walking.

The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) has called for anglers to take more care in storing and disposing of their equipment, after a dog became impaled on a large fish hook.

Two-year-old crossbreed Bryn required emergency care after a fish hook became stuck through the corner of his mouth while on a walk.

The incident happened during a dog walk in the woods, after he had run ahead of his owner, Paul. Soon after, Bryn came rushing back to Paul with the fish hook stuck in his mouth.

Due to the severity of the situation Paul did not stop to investigate, instead rushing his dog to Sheffield PDSA Pet Hospital for urgent care.

Paul’s wife, Susan, rushed to the hospital after hearing about Bryn’s accident. She was horrified to see the large hook, and to see how much of it was inside Bryn’s mouth.

Susan said: “I felt sick, worrying about what would happen next and if Bryn would be okay.”

The veterinary team at PDSA performed a thorough investigation into his injuries, discovering that three prongs of the hook were embedded inside and outside of Bryn’s mouth. This meant they needed to anaesthesise him before beginning the procedure.

With Bryn under general anaesthetic, the veterinary team needed to use large bolt cutters and a surgical blade to remove the double-barbed hook safely. They then closed the wound using stitches, so that it could heal properly over a few weeks.

Sophie Widdowson, a veterinary surgeon at the hospital, said: “Luckily, Bryn’s surgery went well, and he was able to go home later that day with pain relief medication.”

Within four hours, Bryn was taken home and on the road to a full recovery.

PDSA veterinary surgeon Lynne James said: “Sadly we do often see dogs that have been injured while out on walks, so we advise everyone to dispose of rubbish safely to prevent accidents.

“We also recommend that owners make sure their dogs are trained to respond to a recall, so you can stop them if you see them going into a potentially dangerous situation, such as near people fishing.

“We do have a free first aid guide available to download on our website, to help owners understand what to do in an emergency.”

Images © PDSA

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Free CPD announced for BVNA members

News Story 1
 Zoetis is to present a CPD event for free to members of the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA).

Led by veterinary consultant Ruth Moxon, the one-hour online session is designed to help veterinary nurses discuss parasiticide options with clients. It will advise on structuring recommendations, factors for product choice and moving away from 'selling'.

'How do you recommend parasite treatments to your clients?' will be presented on Tuesday, 20 May at 7.30pm. It is free for BVNA members, with £15.00 tickets for non-members.

Veterinary nurses can email cpd@bvna.co.uk to book their place. 

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DAERA to reduce BVD 'grace period'

DAERA has reminded herd keepers of an upcoming reduction to the 'grace period' to avoid BVD herd restrictions.

From 1 May 2025, herd keepers will have seven days to cull any BVD positive or inconclusive animals to avoid restrictions being applied to their herd.

It follows legislation introduced on 1 February, as DAERA introduces herd movement restrictions through a phased approach. Herd keepers originally had 28 days to cull BVD positive or inconclusive animals.

DAERA says that, providing herd keepers use the seven-day grace period, no herds should be restricted within the first year of these measures.

Additional measures, which will target herds with animals over 30 days old that haven't been tested for BVD, will be introduced from 1 June 2025.

More information is available on the DAERA website.