Dog lost to snake bite

[Lorgar]

Speak of the devil as this was getting talked about a couple of weeks ago.

Thank god it wasn't mine... Speaking with one of the locals at the dog park today, he has (had) two Bull Arab cross Great Danes. The smaller had a bit of Leopard Dog in him too, he's the one that got bitten. Raz. Great dog, good natured and well trained.

He had them out bush on Thursday and all seemed fine. Got them in the truck to go and wasn't until hours later they noticed funny behaviour from Raz.

An hour later his body went out from under him and all he could move was his head. Foaming and coughing and all the rest.

Rushed him to the vet who figured it out, did the anti-venoms and whatever they do but it was too late. Lost him to it

So it's heating up and they're coming out... Be careful all.

[Chronos]

Sad news, are they sure it was snake bite? Sounds similar to the effects of tick bite but I guess both venoms has a similar affect on the nervous system.

Chronos

[bigfellascott]

A young fella died recently from a Tiger Snake bite - they are indeed about, the wife had to dodge one on the road last week. I might have to get a compression bandage and keep it in the ute just in case.

[Chronos]

Yeah we restocked our first aid this year and bought 2 compression bandages, they were about $10 each but well worth it I reckon.

Chronos

[bigfellascott]

It certainly can't hurt to have em hey mate, better than wishing you had em if something went wrong.

[Jack V]

Does not sound like snake bite to me took too long to show symptoms . Sounds like poisoning .

[Westy]

A young fella died recently from a Tiger Snake bite - they are indeed about, the wife had to dodge one on the road last week. I might have to get a compression bandage and keep it in the ute just in case.

I keep one in the day pack when out hunting!!! Had a monster 2.5 plus metres of a carpet snake harassing my daughters Guinea pig on Friday night after some gentle persuasion he moved on. Women they wake you up at 10-00pm to tell you there's snake on the hutch and fix it now!!!!!!

[Lorgar]

Sad news, are they sure it was snake bite? Sounds similar to the effects of tick bite but I guess both venoms has a similar affect on the nervous system.

I've shared the story as it was told to me and they've said snake bite. The guys wife is a veterinary nurse of some sort her self so I guess she's in a good position to say.

I didn't push for confirmation etc. obviously.

[Lorgar]

Does not sound like snake bite to me took too long to show symptoms . Sounds like poisoning .

Two dogs as I said, always together, fed the same, same environment blah blah blah.

Now sure how one would get poisoned if the other didn't.

[Aussier]

It certainly can't hurt to have em hey mate, better than wishing you had em if something went wrong.

First aid's the one area just about everyone slacks off in I reckon.

[Chronos]

I've shared the story as it was told to me and they've said snake bite. The guys wife is a veterinary nurse of some sort her self so I guess she's in a good position to say.

I didn't push for confirmation etc. obviously.

Yeah I understand mate just my own curiosity.

Like I said, it's sad. I'd hate for one of our dogs to get hit.

Chronos.

[Die Judicii]

So sorry to hear of that loss.
Pass it on (from forum members in general ??) to the owner/s

A simple but effective precaution we can all take, is dont take dogs into high risk snake areas during snake season.

I have lost a foxie and a dobermann in the past to tiger snakes, and I understand how the owners feel.

My Jack Russell / Foxie cross recently pictured on Off Topic, has been bitten 3 times.
The first two times were Copperheads, and the last time was a Tiger snake.
Luckily she was saved each time, but the Tiger really took its toll.
Took her 3 - 4 months to come good. (the lights were on but no-one was home)

Then all of a sudden one day, she was back with a new lease of life.

[Oldbloke]

Caught a 1/2 mtr tiger snake in the back yard a few days ago with a rubbish bin and a garden stake. Let him go down near the local creek.
A much safer hunting ground for all.

[Die Judicii]

Caught a 1/2 mtr tiger snake in the back yard a few days ago with a rubbish bin and a garden stake. Let him go down near the local creek.
A much safer hunting ground for all.

If I'd caught it with a rubbish bin and a garden stake, and then let go,,, I'm sure it wouldve been wearing the garden stake like a piece of jewellery.

[Kelix]

Took her 3 - 4 months to come good. (the lights were on but no-one was home)

Then all of a sudden one day, she was back with a new lease of life.

At least you got her back after the 4 months.

A long road but could have been worse.

[Jack V]

Two dogs as I said, always together, fed the same, same environment blah blah blah.

Now sure how one would get poisoned if the other didn't.

" He had them out bush on Thursday and all seemed fine. Got them in the truck to go and wasn't until hours later they noticed funny behaviour from Raz"

Do you think it's not possible for one dog to pick up one bate ? When a snake bites an animal like a dog that continues to run around pumping blood quickly to the heart and brain it don't take all day to show signs of envenomation .

It just don't sound like typical snake bite . Wild dogs will sometimes carry poisoned bate back to their dens but after holding it in their mouths for a while detect that it is bad and drop it . This can put a poison bate miles away from where it was laid.

It could be snake bite but the two snake bites I have seen showed signs while still in the bush within maybe an hour or so of the bite. One I was not sure when the bite happened exactly but the other I saw the snake strike . Vets say it is possible for snake bite to take 1 to 6 hours to show symptoms but I have never seen one take 6 hours on an untreated dog .

[Lorgar]

I dunno mate, I'm just passing along the story as I've been told it.

His wife works at a vet, they took Raz to a vet, that's what they came up with.

I'd hardly know better to contradict their explanation.

[Khan]

It's heart breaking stuff

[Jack V]

I dunno mate, I'm just passing along the story as I've been told it.

His wife works at a vet, they took Raz to a vet, that's what they came up with.

I'd hardly know better to contradict their explanation.

Fair enough, How it happened does not change anything for the better.

If you're in the field and you suspect poisoning shove a few crystals of washing soda down the dogs throat and see if you can get it to vomit. Salt on the back of the tongue can sometimes do it also. Also if it's 1080 poison that dog vomit is also highly poisonous so bury it. If you suspect snake bite, immobilise the dog and carry it back to the car don't make it walk as that kills it quicker.

If you hold it in the water of a dam or creek for the rest of the day they sometimes survive. Some people say an injection of vitamin C helps but I can't confirm that. However I have found that most dogs that survive a proper snake bite are not as good after that.

[Chronos]

Good advice tyre about the salts. we carry a vile of Epsom salts for the same reason as it's something we read during researching a first aid kit for our dogs

Chronos

[Jack V]

Yeah it could save your dogs life if you do it quickly enough. The problem with pig dogs is they are away from you in the bush so much that you don't know what they may have eaten. Being able to recognise quick enough that the dog is suffering is always a problem in the bush.

I have seen working cattle dogs, suddenly drop from snake bite and you could not really tell they were ill before that.

Sometimes no matter how well prepared you are tragedy can still strike.

[AusC]

Bugger mate

Pass along the condolences if they'd appreciate them.