'Not out of woods': Owner heartbroken as pet Staffordshire Bull Terrier bitten by venomous copperhead in park
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: A 2-year-old pet dog was bitten by a venomous snake in Albert Park Lake in Melbourne while on a visit to the popular park. The two-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Chilli, was bitten when the owner, Darren Ryder, was out with his children at the park on Sunday, February 26. Darren claimed that he had been going to Melbourne's inner west Albert Park Lake for over 20 years and had never seen a snake there. A warning has been issued to all dog owners following this horrific incident.
Initially, the culprit was thought to be a dangerous brown snake, but a vet later determined that the culprit was likely a poisonous copperhead, which is frequently found in southern Victoria. Since then, a warning for other pet owners has been distributed around Facebook community groups, and Mr Ryder has confirmed Chilli was treated by a vet. "Not out of the woods yet but the anti-venom is working," he wrote in a post shared online. "Our not-so-little Staffy. Be vigilant guys," he warned, according to Yahoo News.
READ MORE
‘I saw Pat jump’: NBC’s Emilie Ikeda reveals a deadly snake bit her husband the night before wedding
BOY BITES SNAKE! Cobra dies after 8-year-old chomps down on it when it coils around his arm
Chilli 'became really lethargic'
Mr Ryder claimed he first sensed something was amiss while they were returning home. He told Neil Mitchell on 3AW Melbourne radio that Chilli "became really lethargic" and was "dropping in the backend". "I brought her home and she was feeling off, I actually thought she had been baited by someone," he explained. "We sat out the back and monitored her for a while and she progressively just got worse, so we took her to the vet who believed she'd been bitten by a snake."
Chilli is healing well
Mr Rydner claims that Chilli is recovering well as a result of obtaining early medical attention from a veterinarian, as recommended by the RSPCA. "If you think your pet has been bitten by a snake you should keep them calm and quiet and take them to a vet immediately," they advise on their website. "The chances of recovery are much greater if your pet is treated early, with some pets making a recovery within 48 hours."
"Tiger snakes have a bite that can be fatal to not only pets but humans," the website says, while brown snake venom is milder than tiger snakes. "These snakes have a toxin that causes paralysis and also have an agent in them that uses up all the clotting factors that helps to stop your pet from bleeding. Tiger snakes also have a toxin that breaks down muscle causing damage to the kidneys."
