This West Kelowna turtle had a barbed hook surgically removed from its throat this week.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Rose Valley Animal Clinic
July 16, 2019 - 12:31 PM
KELOWNA - West Kelowna veterinarian Dr. Moshe Oz is known for his treatment of all creatures great and small, but a patient taken to him last Saturday was a little different than the rest.
Someone found one of the Shannon Lake turtles with a hook down its throat and took it to his office to be treated.
“It wasn’t a normal hook, it was big with the barb, and we couldn’t just pull it out,” Oz said.
“We had to anesthetize turtle, took (the hook) out through the other side of its throat, sutured it up and released it.”
His son was by his side the whole time, and Dr. Oz used it as a learning moment.
“The lesson is, no matter how big or how small, or what kind it is, have respect and help animals as much as possible,” he said. “Not always can we can save them, but why not try.”
That day, his son learned that he could make a difference, particularly with a turtle he named Sunny.
Dr. Oz also wants this to be a learning moment for the people who use Shannon Lake. Preferably, people wouldn’t fish where the turtles reside.
If they do, however, Dr. Oz wants them to use the right hooks.
“We don’t have salmon there and third, try not to use barbs,” he said. “Without the barb, the turtle could have dealt with it himself or it could have been dealt with by me in just a second.”
With the barb there, the need for surgery and anesthesia arose.
“It was complicated to take it out,” he said.
That said, if someone comes across a turtle in a similar position, Dr. Oz said not to hesitate and bring it in.
All he wants is for people to be more mindful of how they use the areas local creatures reside.
An X-ray of a turtle found at Shannon Lake.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Rose Valley Animal Clinic
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