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Miniature dachshund survives bite from Mojave Gree
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by tigers9 on July 27, 2008
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http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/green_7689___article.html/miniature_mojave.html
Miniature dachshund survives bite from Mojave Green
BROOKE EDWARDS Staff Writer
July 25, 2008 - 3:16PM
APPLE VALLEY — After a week of intensive care, Dutch the dachshund is recovering from what experts thought would be a fatal bite from a Mojave Green rattlesnake.
Veterinarians, who cared for the dog 24 hours a day for roughly six days, said the incident has taught them much about what to expect and how to treat future bite victims. They said it’s the first case they’re aware of locally of successfully treating a bite from the deadliest rattlesnake in North America, which typically leads to a dog being euthanized.
“It’s the first time that we can actually say for sure that it was a Mojave Green,” said Steve Reynolds, manager and co-owner of Animal Care Hospital in Apple Valley.
On July 16, Dutch’s owner, who asked her name not be used, ran across her backyard in Lucerne Valley to find her two dachshunds doing battle with the rattlesnake. She was certain she saw the snake bite her other dog, Sarah, on the back, before the dog attacked back. The dogs killed the snake and the owner finished it off with a hoe, she then scooped the snake up with a shovel so that doctors would know what they were dealing with.
Dutch, a 10-pound miniature dachshund whose nickname is Dutcharoo because he always hops around, immediately became lethargic. His owner rushed both dogs to the nearest animal hospital.
When Dutch and Sarah arrived at Animal Care Hospital, veterinarians had no idea exactly where or even if they had been bitten.
“We learned that there is not much reaction at the site initially,” Reynolds said.
Dr. Deb Taranik gave Sarah antibiotics and IV medication as a preventative measure, in case she had been bitten. They now believe the long-haired dachshund’s thick fur protected her, or that the snake made a dry strike on her shoulder blade.
But after a couple of hours, they gradually saw a bump raising on the ridge of Dutch’s nose. When Taranik lifted the dog’s lip, she a saw a purple area and they knew he had been bitten. Dutch soon began to crash.
“At first we had no idea how to treat it,” Reynolds said.
They began calling multiple professionals and specialists to get suggestions. They administered an antivenin and had to hook Dutch up to a ventilator, after the venom paralyzed his lungs.
They set up a special area in the hospital to care for Dutch, who was on assisted breathing for several days. They fought the dangerous effects of him vomiting while on the respirator and had to manually lubricate his eyes because he couldn’t blink.
“It took a lot of team effort to get it done,” Reynolds said, transporting the dog back and forth between the hospital by day and the emergency clinic by night.
But Dutch was fighting so hard to stay alive that they just couldn’t give up on him.
The owner brought Dutch’s “best friend” — another dachshund named Lee — to see him at the hospital. Dutch saw Lee and tried to climb off the table, and his health began to improve after that.
Four days after his bite, Dutch picked his head up again. He was finally taken off of the ventilator on July 20 and sent home the next day.
After six days, he started eating and drinking again on his own, having dropped nearly a third of his body weight during the ordeal.
He has now recovered significantly, except for damage to his eyes. Doctors are afraid he may be blind, and are waiting until he has recovered fully to check on his condition.
It ended up being a very expensive adventure, with a bill totaling more than $10,000. Doctors used four bottles of antivenin, borrowing some from neighboring clinics, at $767 per bottle.
“It’s hard to even keep the antivenin on the shelf, because it’s so expensive and you never know if you’ll ever use it,” Reynolds said.
The owner, a retired nurse, will be starting a new job in August to pay for the bill.
“It took huge sacrifices,” Reynolds said. “But what she’s done is something very helpful for the medical community, at least vet-wise. I can’t tell you the number of times we have people come in who think it’s happened, but we don’t know for certain. The learning curve on this was very large.”
Brooke Edwards may be reached at 955-5358 or at bedwards@vvdailypress.com.
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dachsielove wrote:
I applaud Dutch's owner for her care and love of her dachsies. I agree that it would be wonderful if someone - you, me, the vet, the DP - would step in and help out with the cost of saving this little guy's life. I know the vet can reduce charges. Didn't someone say the owner stayed at the hospital for round the clock care? That takes the place of a veternarian technician. What are they paid for after hour care? As I hear it, the vet will puplish a paper on his findings. What will the vet. make on that? Can the DP set up a fund for her?
7/27/2008 3:07:57 PM
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rluis2211 wrote:
Vets are rip-offs plain and simple. They know the family will spend and do anything to save their pet or the little old lady who loves her pet will shell out money to save their pet. This is not right!
7/27/2008 2:01:05 PM
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coyotegod wrote:
6 days of care for 10,000 dollars? Wow that is pricey. At least the healthcare for humans has the excuse of insurance fraud and dead beats not paying their bills to fall back on, but the Vets what excuse do they have?
7/27/2008 10:30:32 AM
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presidentadams wrote:
I don't want to hear anymore complaints about the price of gas or the cost of the Iraq war. If people have this kind of money to spend on a dog, lets drive more and expand the war effort.
7/27/2008 8:52:13 AM
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jonrobertssux wrote:
I wish a Mojave Green would go into my neighbors yard. Their dog barks at all hours of the day and night. When I complain about not being able to sleep the owner says, "I like the barking."
At anytime during the day their are at least two dogs barking around my house, 24/7, 365. Dog owners are inconsiderate to their neighbors.
BTW, I was bit by a dog twice, the first time I had to get 17 stitches in my shoulder, the second time I got 18 stitches in my hand and spent 5 days in the hospital. So as you can see, between the barking, the cr*pping on my lawn, and getting bit and hospitalized, I have no use for dogs other than as lab animals.
7/27/2008 8:18:44 AM
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woodman wrote:
CASE HAS TAUGHT VETS HOW TO TREAT FUTURE BITE VICTIMS. Maybe the Vets should give this women a break on the bill.......
7/27/2008 7:57:20 AM
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shelbygirl wrote:
Four bottles of antivenom at $767 per bottle, thats $3068. Then another $6000 in vet care. That's $1000 a day. Seems like alot since she cared for the dog during the day. I know how she was feeling though. I've had to take my pets to the vet and I've told the Doctor to save them at any cost. Hopefully someone will step in and help her pay for it.
7/26/2008 11:06:24 PM
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captcrazy wrote:
Maybe the D P should pay the bill for getting a story out of it.
Who's with me on this :-)
7/26/2008 10:29:06 PM
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rluis2211 wrote:
I am glad the dog is ok. I hope the vet would give her a discount or the community would hold a fundraiser for her.
7/26/2008 10:12:25 PM
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nerakk wrote:
As much as I love my babies, I couldn't pay 10,000 bucks, or would. For one, there is no guarantee that the pet will survive and another, most don't take payment plans, let alone for 10 G's. I have care credit,(5g limit) and it has come in handy when we had to have our boys PTS, but sheesh, that is a lot of money to spend on something this not a guarnetee. I'm afraid I would have done the humane thing that is painless. :( RIP Bear & Jake I love you!!!
7/26/2008 8:36:03 PM
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dcvingeklipz99 wrote:
A hoe killed the snake =). But 10,000 dollars? I would not!
7/26/2008 6:12:13 PM
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prisoncop wrote:
Good to see a hoe used in a good way.
$10,000 for a dog.
Who say's we are headed into a recession?
7/26/2008 6:12:09 PM
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hidesertchik wrote:
My German Shepherd Dog (although obviously not as small as a dachshund) survived a Mojave Green bite (full strike) to his muzzle 3 years ago. (And yes, I saw the snake myself) The Emergency Animal Clinic in Victorville knew EXACTLY what to do, and my dog is alive and well today-even though I thought he died once in the car on the way to the clinic. This is not the first dog to have survived a bite from one of these snakes, although I believe Dutch is probably the smallest! If your dog is struck, DO NOT WAIT, go right away like I did, it gave my dog much better odds of surviving.
7/26/2008 6:00:54 PM
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sherodebbie wrote:
Since the dogs owner has done something that will "benefit the medical community. At least Vet wise" maybe they should give her a discount like just charge her for the medicine or consider it payment in full. $10,000! Wow! I came home to find a snake in my yard that my dogs had killed but luckily for them it wasn't poisonous! I'm glad her dogs are ok.
7/26/2008 3:18:37 PM
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sweetpee wrote:
Great Artical. Thanks for the information DP. This not only helps the vets but also the community to know what to expect when our dogs or cats get bitten. Wow, $10,000. It is too bad it cost so much. Not to many can afford that.
So glad Dutch made it.
7/26/2008 3:17:04 PM
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RE: Miniature dachshund survives bite from Mojave
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by Ptk on July 28, 2008
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Too bad no one spent 10 grand on saving the snake!!
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