The dog who swallowed 12 fishing hooks

X-ray images have been released of a dog that wolfed down 12 razor sharp fishing hooks after pulling them from his owner's tackle bag. Brian Sales, 57, had placed the equipment on a shelf in his garage 6ft out of the lurcher's reach, before going to work.

However, while he was out Toby managed to pull everything on to the floor with his teeth and get to the containers where the hooks were ready with bait. When Mr Sales returned he realised what must have happened and rushed Toby for urgent medical attention.

X-rays taken by vets at Weardale Veterinary Clinic, County Durham, showed the hooks had not caught on the dog's throat but had passed safely through to his stomach.



Mr Sales said he was astonished when he saw the hooks on the X-ray screen. "After they discovered the hooks they stayed with him until they safely passed through. They did a brilliant job and I've got no doubt they saved his life. I've now made sure all the bait is now locked away in a freezer where even Toby can't get to it."

Rebecca Bradley, a vet at the clinic, said: "Toby is quite a special dog, he has got lots of allergies and I see him often on the clinic with his various troubles. When we analysed the X-ray it was clear that all but one of the fishing hooks had safely passed into Toby's large bowel just waiting to pass through.

"Normally it would take a dog about 24 hours for a meal to pass completely through the digestive tract. However, Toby - being allergic to lots of things - had managed to process this food in less than four hours."

There's a photo of Toby on this page.