Snakebites need special handling
AZALEAS, sago palm, oleander and other plants are poisonous to dogs. Your pet may also eat an insecticide compound, fertiliser or other chemical. Chewing planks covered in paint, or shoes with nails and glue, can also be dangerous. Finally, there are caterpillars, snakes and other beasties.
Whatever the issue is, if your pet starts bleeding, fainting, vomiting or showing other signs that something is wrong, speed is vital.
If you think you know what it was, and you’re certain it won’t hurt you, pick up the plant/bottle/bug and take it to the vet with your pet. Once you’re at the clinic, they will know what to do – or who to call, in case of unusual poisoning. Snakebites need special handling. “If you think your pet’s been bitten, you have to act quickly because some snakes have very strong venom,” explains Prof Dr
Indraneil Das, herpetologist at Unimas, Sarawak.
“Go to a vet who understands how to handle snakebites, and who has the right stocks of anti-venom. While these experts are still quite rare, there are now a number of practices in Malaysia that can help dogs, horses, cows and other animals.”
Should your pet die, you can’t tell for sure what happened without an autopsy. This takes a specially trained vet and lab equipment.
“Preferably, we want to examine the whole carcass,” says Prof Mohd Zamri Saad, pathologist at UPM’s veterinary department. “If that is not possible, sending samples would be enough to suggest if the dog died of poisoning, or otherwise, so talk to your vet.”
During the autopsy, they look inside the body for certain signs, as well as test for chemicals and toxins. “‘Traditional’ poisons like organo-phosphate or warfarin would cause severe haemorrhaging (bleeding) in various organs, especially the lungs,” Prof Zamri notes, “unlike a snakebite, that is more neurotoxic in nature and seldom causes haemorrhages.”
If you don’t have an autopsy but suspect snakebite and are worried about your family, know that snakes in urban areas live in drains and feed off rats.
“The best way to keep snakes away is to take away their food source,” Prof Dr Indraneil says. “Deal properly with your garbage so that you don’t have rats – and then the snakes will move on.”