raz

I didnt pay cheaper - I paid through the nose at a specialist medical and emrgency clinic. What's with your red herring in this thread? have you read the entire thread???

I didnt have $10,000 cash lying around when my dogs were envenomated either. I had the option of finding it or to PTS - not to just take them home. There's more to this story than meets the eye. Besides - AV does NOT cost $4000.

If they're dead, they can't be living? Can they? Snakes, Jeddles - Snakes. You've obviously killed all the snakes if you need to kill 1000 mice a day for 30 days.

It wasnt your fault, Perrin. Your dog was already gone when you found him. If he'd been alive I'm sure you would have taken him straight to a Vet for treatment.

So that everytime you kill one, you know you have saved 250,000 mice? Here's a math question. If you kill 1000 mice per day for 30 days on your property, and 2000 mice (approx) escape, and a snake can kill 250,000 mice, how many snakes are living on your property? Only dead ones if you have a mice plague, Jeddles

Sure for sure but why need enough venom in one bite to kill 250,000 mice?

Probably a good thing for the poster if the pups died an agonising death without treatment if they do not return.

Quick, if you find you need to go through with the surgery I would definitely recommend a crate, especially with a lively little terrier. Mine was crated for 6 weeks for an injury. 5 minute walks every 2 hours. He was fine. Definitely ask vet about rehab though.

I saw that post, flava, and I know exactly where the poster is coming from. Not to treat or PTS a critically ill animal because of the $ is negligent.

Thanks Feef. When Pancake came down with pneumonia I thought she had torsion - symptoms seem very similar. Arched back, cant lie down. Nightmare stuff.

Poor Harry. What does the vet think caused his spleen to enlarge?

Your posts are getting better and better. Any news on the OPs pups yet? GB, maybe god thought Australia was the garden of eden - or Hades.

why did snakes in Australia eveolve to have such potent venom? Surely they dont need that much to kill a mouse or frog.

I had no idea how many different varieties WA had, GB.

WA. Why do we have so many bloody elapids in Australia http://www.kingsnake.com/oz/snakes/elapids/elapids.htm Any news on the pups?

The Vet who charges less probably doesnt have state of the art equipment and is too far to get your pugs on AV in time. In cases of snake bite - it's time not money that is of the essence.

Exactly, Cris. Frightening thought, isnt it. And it's not up to forum owners to provide lists - your pets therefore your responsibility. Find your own vet and know how they run their business for expensive procedures. If your dog got hit by a car and had a broken spine you wouldnt just say 'Oh weel. Too expensive cant afford it'.

They'd go bankrupt if they didnt. Your vet clinic sounds a bit over the top but put it this way - if 10 snake victims come in on one day and no one can afford to pay - clinic is down about $60,000 dollars - in a day. Vet clinics dont run a charity - they ARE a business. They dont get reimbursed by the Government to keep pets alive - that's up to the owners.

They're going to need AV, honey. If you dont have the money you'll have to discuss the option of putting them down if you cant get a loan. It's probably too late now anyway which is a real bastard because at the very least the pups should have been kept in overnight for observation. All the best. Dreadful time for you.

Write a message on him first. Yep just ring your vet.

The emergency clinic I went to required a deposit upfront and if we didnt have it on the credit card, they had lists of institutions which will approve loans on the spot for vet treatment. The other option if we couldnt afford it or simply didnt want to pay it was to put the dogs to sleep immediately to save them the agony. It's a very cruel way for a dog to die.

2 of mine were in intensive care for over a week and cost quite a bit more than that, Caz. It's not the AV that costs that much. From memory the vials were about $600 each. It's all the other treatment that adds up. Just part and parcel of dog ownership. Then there's the lengthy rehab if they survive. Over 70% of animals not treated with AV from snake bite in this country die a horrible death. Seriously, if you had a child envenomated by a snake and didnt have private health insurance, would you just say - I dont want to pay for it so wont bother? It's the responsibility of animal owners to provide correct veterinary treatment for their sick or injured animals! Snake envenomation in dogs is horrific!

There is no scientific evidence to support that. The pups are possibly already going into renal failure - vit c will just impact upon that.

Your dogs should have been put on AV. What kind of vet would tell you that it was only a baby snake so the pups would be OK. Baby elapids are venomous. I hope for the sake of the pups they pull through.

Many thanks from my friend for the PMs and posts.