D4DOGZ Posted November 8, 2010 Author Share Posted November 8, 2010 OH and I spent most of today cutting back grass and doing other clearing and snake proofing work. Am trying to look on the bright side, the property probably wouldn't look as neat if we lived in New Zealand. Very True Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idigadog Posted November 8, 2010 Share Posted November 8, 2010 I'm pretty sure the snakes around here have decided this year that they want to give me a nervous breakdown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted November 8, 2010 Share Posted November 8, 2010 I have 4 dams, 1600 acres of trees, 500 acres of pasture. They have plently of room, water and frogs. Do they need to come into my 5 acres around the house or worse try desperately to get into the dog runs???!!! NO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D4DOGZ Posted November 8, 2010 Author Share Posted November 8, 2010 I have 4 dams, 1600 acres of trees, 500 acres of pasture. They have plently of room, water and frogs. Do they need to come into my 5 acres around the house or worse try desperately to get into the dog runs???!!! NO! Makes you wonder really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raz Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 One of my boys was bitten nearly two years ago now, and whilst he survived - what they dont tell you at the time is the long term health consequences a snake bite and the anti venom treatment can have. Today, whilst for the most part his health is okay, he is very hard to get condition and weight on him and if he gets bitten by anything else he has severe allergic reactions - his health and general constitution remain in a very delicate balance - that doesnt take much to upset. Bugger. Poor guy. How long did he take to recover, shepherds? Two of mine were bitten and it took 9 months. What you've got to be careful of is if he ever gets envenomated again (touch wood) by snake or tick, his chances of serum sickness are much higher. If it does happen and I really hope it doesnt, and he goes to a different vet, it's really important you tell them it's his second time. NZ is looking mighty good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozzie Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 Where are all the pics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillybob Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 I think if you keep the grass down and dont have water laying around, it will discourage them. Nothing for them to hide under either. Even compost and mulch give lots of shelter. My compost heap was a fav place for the RBB. I often saw them moveing through the mulch on my garden as well. So I think you just have to be watchful, keep you dogs inside early in the mornings and late arvo and night, in summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D4DOGZ Posted December 30, 2010 Author Share Posted December 30, 2010 {quote name='Rozzie' date='31st Dec 2010 - 07:55 AM' post='5051783'] Where are all the pics? Hi Rozzie, Sorry i thought that i had them ( might have been thinking of FB page ) I will attempt to upload them for you. Corner of dog run should be able to see Snake repeller around corner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Thought I had done mine as well - will go find them! Found and resized :D Have been adding a dog yard so had to cut the shade cloth on one corner but will stitch it back up again and am putting snake wire buried into blue metal around the bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 What everyone else said - like to add that peafowl and guinea fowl really do help, they are supposed to kill and eat the baby snakes, and the vibrations from them walking around keeps the snakes away. I don't believe the second, but they do eat baby snakes. Only keep fowl if you like them though. They also eat ticks. Kookaburras eat snakes too, so encourage them IMHO, cats are excellent for snakes. I like cats, and we always had 6 odd on the property. They took care of rodents (except in the plagues), and they were marvellous on small snakes. One of the boys would chase and kill them up to about 1/2 metre. After that, unless they are very foolish, they leave them alone. Except the Siamese, but that's another story. Snake 1, Siamese 0. I think the cats account for so many baby snakes, fewer grow up ... which is good!! My cat alerted me to a 3m snake in the dining room one night .... she wasn't going near it, but she was watching it like a hawk. The snake man came and got it. Ours were house cats, and some were hunters some, not. They didn't catch many birds - if any. There were a couple of superb wren families living in the garden, heaps of finch nests in the huge lemon tree on the front lawn, and cats sunning themselves on the steps. They tend to go for things on the ground, rather than flying things. A few of the younger ones wanted to kill birds, so they wore bells until they stopped. But all were house cats and well fed, and they all seemed to be on the job with snakes. The one which brought a 30cm brown snake into the lounge and let it go wasn't too popular. Some people swear by the repellers, some not. I also found if stock had access to the house-yard, they seemed to keep the snakes down -- I suppose there ARE vibrations from animals which the snakes sense. When we moved the stock away, we had more snakes. I think, if the snakes are endemic, you are justified in using the fruit tree mesh. Check it twice daily, ensure the dogs can't reach it, because the trapped snakes will bite. I have snakes where I live -- they stay around the creek, so when I go to the creek (infrequently) I make a lot of noise, and they keep out of the way. And that is how it should be, but I've seen lots of aggro ones around past houses, lost a pony, a couple of cats, and two dogs to snakes, so if they want to live where I live with the pets, it's war!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepherds Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 One of my boys was bitten nearly two years ago now, and whilst he survived - what they dont tell you at the time is the long term health consequences a snake bite and the anti venom treatment can have. Today, whilst for the most part his health is okay, he is very hard to get condition and weight on him and if he gets bitten by anything else he has severe allergic reactions - his health and general constitution remain in a very delicate balance - that doesnt take much to upset. Bugger. Poor guy. How long did he take to recover, shepherds? Two of mine were bitten and it took 9 months. What you've got to be careful of is if he ever gets envenomated again (touch wood) by snake or tick, his chances of serum sickness are much higher. If it does happen and I really hope it doesnt, and he goes to a different vet, it's really important you tell them it's his second time. NZ is looking mighty good! Yep...NZ is looking mighty good. I currently have my mother staying and I only left the house this morning after a severe lecture on how, when and where the dogs could be let out and what she has to do. I only hope it sunk in, I repeated myself enough!!!!!!! I actually wouldnt say that he has "fully recovered" - I dont think he ever will - but the first twelve months were the worst. I would also say his personality has changed a little bit as well - then again that could have something to do with the age that he got bitten (he was only 7 months old). I think the thing that turned his health around was a naturopath. Because of his weight and failure to thrive (he was very skinny, refused to eat no matter what was put in front of him)..I was giving him digestive enzymes from the vet, along with weekly Vitamin B shots. At the time his liver function blood tests etc were not that great. I then got onto a naturopath and between her and the herbal people, we worked on restoring his digestive system, inner health and liver. These things to some degree restored his condition and general well being (and the liver function improved) - but like I mentioned it doesnt take much to upset the apple cart and Im very very careful of where he goes and what he does. Even now some times he will go through one of his Im not going to eat periods and when that occurs I restart the digestive and liver treatments which seems to get things back on track. (and yes I used to be one of those people who believed a dog would eventually eat if it got hungry enough.....the things this dog has reduced me to doing...I dont actually recognise that person....but that is another story ) Raz, I remember reading your story at the time it happened (I have been a long time reader) and it was heartbreaking....are you still dealing with any long term effects? And I would be interested in what treatments vet or alternative wise you have used and had success with. If anyone is unfortuante enough to have a pet get bitten, then maybe some good that can come out of it is the subsequent recovery and rehabilitation and what works and people have had success with (it was a huge learning curve for me as it was no doubt you). cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raz Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 are you still dealing with any long term effects? And I would be interested in what treatments vet or alternative wise you have used and had success with. One of them had a few seizures and he still has skin problems which was all put down to his reaction to AV so if he is envenomated again I'll certainly be discussing with vet the pitfalls of another vial or two of AV but no problems for a few years. The one worst affected because he received the most venom had the quickest recovery despite continually pulling out his IV so I think it just comes down to the individual dog. I've heard of dogs having a personality change after an incident with a snake leading to treatment but mine seem pretty much the same as they were prior. It's just a long road to recovery and unfortunately there isnt a huge amount of info available re envenomation of dogs and affects of AV (because the majority of them die) - the organ breakdown is just so frigging fast. Snake venom is such a complex damn substance. Your little bloke is alive and that's more than most owners have after a run in with a snake so hang in there, sheps. I didnt seek alternative treatment so cant advise but go for it. Every bit helps, especially Diet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idigadog Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Well since posting back in November about Cooper catching the tiger snake in our house yard, we have had another tiger in the dog yard and on New Year's Eve, a dirty big brown snake in an enclosed area behind our house. Frack, frack, frack!!! Nothing we seem to be doing is deterring them although I do have my suspicions that these snakes have been in the yards since last summer and have been laying dormant. In effect, we have probably trapped them in The tiger snake was 'relocated' by four of our boys (thank God none of them were bitten) and the brown the other day was 'relocated' by my husband and I can tell you that it was a nasty buggar too. It was trying to climb up the shade cloth into the dog yard and had the dogs not alerted me to the fact that it was there, I probably would not have seen it. Our poor dogs are spending more and more time in their runs because I refuse to leave them out unsupervised. What else can I do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvawilow Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 We moved to small acreage late last year (and back onto farms & channel) and the former owners were greenies - leaf litter 2-3ft deep under the back stand of trees. Shrubs and groundcovers covering most of the back yard and all of the front yard. Sleepers used as edging and huge rocks strewn about everywhere plus a salt water pool ;) Unfortunately our first priority was to get boundary fencing up as the ppty had no fencing We then had to use a bobcat to remove the leaf litter. We then removed all the sleepers and much to our horror found a hybernating young brown snake under a sleeper 3mtrs from our back door (where the dog yard also is). After this scary find we used the bobcat to clear all the shrubs and groundcover - backyard now resembles a golf green, Lol. We are now the owners of 5 guniea fowl. The guniea's are amazing, my mass murderer cat (who spends most of his time inside) thought he's take one on and try knocking it off. The cornered one let off an alarm and the whole flock surrounded the cat each taking turns in pecking him - needless to say I rescued him. We kept our gunieas locked up in their pen for 6 weeks and then let them have run of the few acres which we have fenced. Our fences are only 5ft and they choose to stay in our ppty which is good! Since clearing the back yard and getting the guniea fowl we have not seen one snake - even when the neighbouring farmer cut his hay! Our next goal for this year is to put clear, solid fencing around the pool but at over $6000 it's not likely to get done until winter. I have heard that sump oil around your boundary fences is meant to deter snakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Oh not good at all! Do you have much for a hibernating snake to hide in??? Our snakes here do not truely hibernate so if it was here I would say they are getting in somewhere??? Hopefully that is not the case at your house and they stop VERY soon. I stepped out of the garage a few days ago, with the dogs, Lewis was on my left and stopped and looked at something, then dropped his head and looked again. About a foot away was a brown snake, not huge fortunately but around 3 foot long. Needless to say I went backwards REALLY fast and yelled at poor Lewis, but it got him away. One thing I do have to say the Whippets seem to stop and stare unlike my Dobes that were into the snake given half a chance! Makes getting them away much easier. Fingers crossed there are no more snakes. Have you considered getting snake traps to leave around fences etc in case there is a snake in your yards??? that way they are contained into a small escape proof area and less of a problem for your dogs - unless the dogs would rip open a small bag to get them???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvawilow Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Oh not good at all!Do you have much for a hibernating snake to hide in??? Fingers crossed there are no more snakes. Have you considered getting snake traps to leave around fences etc in case there is a snake in your yards??? that way they are contained into a small escape proof area and less of a problem for your dogs - unless the dogs would rip open a small bag to get them???? Not anymore, hence the resembalance of a golf green that our backyard now has! The brown bugger was under a hollowed out sleeper that was used as edging for a garden bed near the back door. We removed everything in the backyard with only the mature trees remaining. We're going to try the sump oil around the boundary fences. Not sure if I'm being paranoid or not but a few times our guniea fowl have looked in the direction of the neighbouring paddock, ran up to the fence and scream their heads off so maybe they could have seen a snake? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bedazzledx2 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Always take notice of the birds!!! Just yesterday the magpies were going off so I went outside to check just in time to see a racehorse goanna climbing a tree! A few years ago the same ruckus from the birds and it was a very large dugite. Oh not good at all!Do you have much for a hibernating snake to hide in??? Fingers crossed there are no more snakes. Have you considered getting snake traps to leave around fences etc in case there is a snake in your yards??? that way they are contained into a small escape proof area and less of a problem for your dogs - unless the dogs would rip open a small bag to get them???? Not anymore, hence the resembalance of a golf green that our backyard now has! The brown bugger was under a hollowed out sleeper that was used as edging for a garden bed near the back door. We removed everything in the backyard with only the mature trees remaining. We're going to try the sump oil around the boundary fences. Not sure if I'm being paranoid or not but a few times our guniea fowl have looked in the direction of the neighbouring paddock, ran up to the fence and scream their heads off so maybe they could have seen a snake? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 We use the 'bird netting' I lost my Molly dog last night- presumed snake ..as we recently dispatched a BIG brown from near the pen she was in. Molly was not a worker- she was very soft mouthed, and my rabbit retrieving/hunting dog.I had her for 6 years. She was always sneaking inside and stealing Hamlet's soft toys ... Bloody snakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 We use the 'bird netting' I lost my Molly dog last night- presumed snake ..as we recently dispatched a BIG brown from near the pen she was in. Molly was not a worker- she was very soft mouthed, and my rabbit retrieving/hunting dog.I had her for 6 years. She was always sneaking inside and stealing Hamlet's soft toys ... Bloody snakes. Oh no. Really sorry to read that Persephone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idigadog Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I lost my Molly dog last night- presumed snake ..as we recently dispatched a BIG brown from near the pen she was in. Molly was not a worker- she was very soft mouthed, and my rabbit retrieving/hunting dog.I had her for 6 years. She was always sneaking inside and stealing Hamlet's soft toys ...Bloody snakes. I am so so sorry to hear that persephone. It is absolutely gut wrenching. Big hugs for you And I'll double that sentiment - bloody snakes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now