Shyann—an 11-year-old, spayed German shorthaired pointer—presented with a treble (triple) fishhook inside her nostril (FIGURE 1). The owners were unsure how this occurred. Shyann was admitted for hospitalization, anesthesia, and removal of the fishhook.
FIGURE 1. A treble (triple) fishhook inside the nostril.
The patient was subcutaneously injected with a preanesthetic medication (a combination of glycopyrrolate, butorphanol tartrate, and acepromazine) and carprofen (Rimadyl, Pfizer). Once Shyann was sedated, a radiograph was obtained to determine the position of the fishhook (
FIGURE 2). For induction of anesthesia, ketamine and diazepam were given intravenously to effect. Shyann was intubated and given oxygen, and general anesthesia was maintained using isoflurane. After being transported to the surgery room, Shyann was connected to the pulse oximeter and blood pressure monitors.
FIGURE 2. A radiograph of the treble fishhook.
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The doctor was able to push each point of the hook through the soft tissue to expose the barbs and cut them off. After all three barbs had been removed, the doctor was able to easily remove the fishhook from the nostril. Amazingly, there was very little bleeding, and Shyann recovered smoothly. She was discharged later that day with carprofen tablets.
Although body piercing is popular among people, it is not recommended for pets!
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