The Snook hook, also called a spay hook, is a hook-shaped surgical instrument used in veterinary surgery for the spaying of female animals. It was invented in the 1920s by James H. Snook, a veterinary professor at Ohio State University, and it remains in common use.1: 5 The Snook hook is inserted into the abdominal cavity and used to retrieve and externalize the uterine horns and broad ligament from within the body for operation.23 The traditional method of spaying that is taught in most veterinary schools involves finding the uterus using a Snook hook after performing a ventral midline celiotomy.4
References
References
- Franklin, Diana Britt; Pennell, Nancy (March 28, 2010). Gold Medal Killer: The Shocking True Story of the Ohio State Professor — an Olympic Champion — and His Coed Lover. Marquette Books. ISBN 978-0982659724.
- Penido Junior, Gilberto Nogueira; Jorge-Neto, Pedro Nacib; Milanelo, Liliane; Rosenfield, Derek Andrew; Pizzutto, Cristiane Schilbach (2024-01-01). "Uterine tubal ligation via mini-laparotomy in South American coatis (Nasua nasua)". Theriogenology Wild. 4 100087. doi:10.1016/j.therwi.2024.100087. ISSN 2773-093X.
- Spay/Neuter Surgery: Spay Hook Use. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 2017-12-21. Retrieved 2026-03-22 – via YouTube.
- McCafferty, Caitlin (2026-03-22). "The old versus the new: alternative spay and neuter techniques". dvm360.com. Retrieved 2026-03-22.