Dog survives stingray attack

A pet dog has survived a stingray attack that a vet has described as like being stabbed with a poisoned blade.

Bill Mansbridge said his blue heeler-border collie cross Tilly probably stepped on the ray while playing in the shallows inside Nelson’s Boulder Bank, near his yacht mooring.

The venomous barb pierced Tilly’s abdomen and she was in deep shock.

Mansbridge contacted the afterhours vet and was told to keep her as comfortable as possible and then bring her ashore for treatment in the morning.

He was warned that she might not survive the night.

She needed a four-hour operation to repair her torn bowel and the other damage done in the attack.

It was a life-and-death event – without surgery 15-month-old Tilly would definitely not have survived, said vet Chris Saunders.

‘‘This fish has a sting a bit like a steak knife with a serrated edge, covered in a mucin, a jelly-like material which contains toxin. It’s a bit like being stabbed with a poisoned blade,’’ he said.

Tilly would have been in a great deal of localised pain, he said, and had first undergone an exploratory operation to find out the extent of the damage.

Another of the clinic’s vets, Jacqui Hickman, said Tilly’s injuries had required large incisions to treat, and she had ‘‘bounced back’’ well. ’’She’s very hardy. She’s improving each day, she’s eating, it’s looking good.’’

Tilly’s ‘‘mum’’, Binky Mansbridge, said their dog had been chasing seagulls when attacked, with only a lot of splashing to indicate what was happening.

‘‘She screamed and got out of the water and shook herself, and then deteriorated quite quickly.’’

It had been a rough night for both Tilly and for her husband, Binky Mansbridge said, but the dog had borne her injuries bravely and even walked into the clinic, to everyone’s surprise.

‘‘She is recovering incredibly. She’s our baby, definitely a family member. She’s more important than me.’’