Cobra Vs Bulldog

[intoxicajun]

I returned from a trip to Samui yesterday and come home to the worst news.

My housekeeper informed me that my bulldog walked up on a cobra in my driveway and the cobra bit her on the lip and she died 5 minutes later.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to keep cobra's from killing family pets?

For those who know, Sara, the light colored one died.

I am f###### crushed. She was the best dog I ever owned. We cremated her last night and now I am lost.

I have a 4 year old a 5 month old and another bulldog.

Please help!

[thaigerd]

Very sorry to hear the bad news!!!

I can imagine your feelings right now.

RIP Sara!

Gerd

[geriatrickid]

Sorry for your loss. All that you can do is clear away the vegetation and structures areas that allow cobras to hide. Snakes usually turn up where there is a food supply, which means rats and other beasties. And in case someone suggests to tether your dog under supervision, that is both impractical and unrealistic. Try the animal forum. There are a lot of ladies in there that look after hordes of dogs and they live this daily.

[JonnyF]

As the owner of a 10 month old lab - this also worries me. I have no answer in terms of how to prevent this but would also be very interested to hear of any suggestions.

Sincere condolences to the OP

[El Taco Loco]

Sorry to hear that. All of the above.. Clear all weeds, plants. Do the usual patrol every so often around the garden. We live in their territory, so it may happen again.

I have 3 dogs. I cannot imagine how you feel.

[Kiwi/Thai]

Hey Buddy sorry about the sad news

[mikethevigoman]

I returned from a trip to Samui yesterday and come home to the worst news.

My housekeeper informed me that my bulldog walked up on a cobra in my driveway and the cobra bit her on the lip and she died 5 minutes later.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to keep cobra's from killing family pets?

For those who know, Sara, the light colored one died.

I am f###### crushed. She was the best dog I ever owned. We cremated her last night and now I am lost.

I have a 4 year old a 5 month old and another bulldog.

Please help!

I dont know if you know /knew Tom that has /had a bar in soi eric, he had 3 bulldogs, all killed by cobras, he was heartbroken, its a difficult call as cobras are all over the island and dogs are inquisitive, a bad combination, beware ,.i feel for you , i lost 2 boxers, 1 to old age and another to cancer, i still dream about them 10 years on ,.as for advise, all i can suggest is a populated area with not a lot of vegitation,very sad,.

[Chantal]

So so sorry to hear your sad news Intoxicajun! I have the same concerns with my 3 dogs and 6 cats. Many cobras in our area.

[ozymandious]

saw notification of your post this morning in my inbox,

I'm very sad to hear of your loss. it makes me sad

I had a close call with a cobra and my dogs, luckily the cobra retreated to a tight corner there the dogs couldn't get at it. Panicked and not knowing what to do my wife and I killed it.

I pulled it out of the crevasse, she whacked it with a rake and I held it's head down with a garden hoe and pounded it's head with a hammer.

Violent I know but my dogs are my babies and I've got a 2 year old daughter who plays in the yard.

I bagged the remains and threw it in the trash.

i can only offer some tips to make your yard unattractive to cobras,

Keep your grass short and hedges trimmed,

don't leave places for them to hide, garden pots old tires (also breading ground of dengue)

My yard also get an influx of frogs/toads which I think is tasty snake food

i gather them up in a dust bin and chuck them over the wall.

Again sorry for you loss.

[DLock]

Sorry for your loss.

I know how it feels. I lost 2 dogs in Phuket to Cobras. The second dog was bitten in the face by a cobra less than 12 inches long that has slid under to door and could not get out fast enough. Cobras are quite shy and would rather get away than fight.

It actually takes about 30 minutes for the dog to die, but before that they lose balance, empty their bowels and stomach, start foaming at the mouth, go unconcious and slowly fade away. So, if your dog does get tagged and you see it, you need to get it to a vet that has anti-venom very fast.

My third bull terrier got bit and I found him when he was just starting to fall over unbalanced. I was never going to make it to the vet, so I went to the Phuket hospital and asked for cobra antivenom. The doctor told me it was 2,500 baht and was I sure I wanted it. They would not let me in the hospital with the then unconcious dog, but the doctor actually administered the antivenom for me in the front leg that was all swollen from the bite (just after the bite wound - half the amount, then 10 minutes later the other half). He also injected something to help clear the airways and help breathing. After about 2 hours of him unconcious, he came out of it and peed everywhere. He was very tired for 2 or 3 days, but he recovered.

After that, I bought some antivenom and kept it in the fridge with some needles, but never needed it. You can buy it from the Phuket hospital. If not, next time you are at your vet, check to see that he stocks it and have his mobile phone number in your phone.

Pictures are off the snake that killed my dog and a cobra that got into my dogs sleep cage and he killed it without getting bit. He's is one tough dog. Last one is a small snake that was in my gym shoe. There are plenty of snakes around my place.

Apart from that, good advice from other posters - keep grass down, no ponds to attract frogs, make sure doors are fully sealed, don't leave shoes outside and just be alert.

[sbk]

How long does the anti-venom last in the fridge?

The local hospital here on Koh P will not sell it for a dog (my neighbors dog was bit and died --he got her to the hospital in time but they refused to give him any).

Our dog regularly goes for snakes and has killed several cobras in the past few years. I worry for her when she gets older. We get a lot of snakes where I live (4 cobras around or in the house in the past year). We live right on a small waterway, they come for the toads and frogs. So, not alot we can do about it.

You can, however, clear all brush around your house and, as nice as a water feature is, if it is the largest water feature nearby, the toads and frogs in it may attract snakes. So, ditch the water feature.

It's terrible losing a dog, and even worse watching them die in pain My condolences.

[Gary A]

My Golden Retriever was lucky. His hind thigh was all swollen (big) and I was afraid that he had gotten hit by a car. I took him to the vet and the vet thought he was bitten by a snake of some kind. The vet told me there was nothing he could do for the dog. Nothing was broken and there were no signs of any other injuries. Poor Cookie laid around for about four days and finally got better. I was never sure what had really happened but one day I had about a meter long piece of garden hose. He loves to fetch nearly anything you throw but that piece of hose scared him badly. Before that he had found a snake in our yard that was eating a toad and he was very interested in the snake. Had it been poisonous he would have been bitten then. I hope he has learned a life saving lesson.

A friend of mine in Krabi has lost two dogs from being snake bit.

[Dawn]

I think it's bang out of order that the hospital wouldn't sell you any anti-venom for your dog!! My dogs are like my babies and I'd be really p****d off if I was refused some - it would be like refusing it to my children! After all, I'm sure we'd all be willing to pay, no matter how much they charged.

We're moving to Thailand soon and I plan to have a fridge especially for anti-venom - for me and my husband, kids and dogs. I'd welcome any advice as to how long the anti-venom would last in a fridge if anyone knows? I plan to do my research and get a stock of all anti-venom that we might need - any suggestions for a comprehensive stock list? I don't want to take any chances as we'll be on an island and a quick response to any bites is going to be needed.

Condolences for your loss mate - I really feel for you. We lost our first dog to cancer two years ago and we still dream about him and talk about him on a regular basis.

We've got an English Bull Terrier now (into everything) and a Rhodesian Ridgeback (takes little encouragement from the Bullie) so I need to plan ahead!

Dawn

[DLock]

From my recollection the anti venom lasts about 3 years in the fridge. I kept mine in a plastic container with some 18gauge needles for quickly drawing the liquid, and some 23 gauge for putting in the dog...or me. Last thing you want to be doing is having to source needles when the panic sets in.

Phuket Hospital sold me anti venom on the same day my dog was bit. The doctor did know me from past visits, but I'd say I was very fortunate he helped me as I really didn't know how or where to inject my dog.

When he did inject, they shaved his front leg and inch or below the bite, then they injected. He injected half of the syringe first and left it taped inside the vein, waited about 10 minutes and then the other half. I thought he injected into the vein, but stuff I read online says intramuscular (into a fleshy muscle), so I may be wrong.

I did not see the snake that bit my first dog who lived, but had seen several baby monocled cobra (have one circle on back of head) around the garden, and they are very common. I am not even sure what would happen if you guessed the wrong snake and put in the wrong anti venom.

Your vet should be able to buy it for you if the hospital won't. I'd tell the hospital you live remote and want it for safety reasons and ask how to administer it properly.

I hope you never have to use it.

[ChiangMaiAmerican]

If anyone is interested there is a medical protocol on treating cobra bites here:

http://drdavidson.ucsd.edu/Portals/0/snake/Naja.htm

I had one on our step yesterday. I was cool yesterday morning and I suspect the snake was sunning itself since the tile was warm. We were lucky. My wife opened the door to let the dog out and the cobra decided to come into the house. It went right by my wife. She backed up screaming. Fortunately the dog did not go near the snake. I got up to get it out of the house and it decided to exit on its own. After that I began looking for snake repellent that would work on cobras. I come from an area of the US where we have a lot of snakes particularly water moccasains and rattlesnakes. Naphthalene mothballs and sulphur work well most of the time. In fact those are the active ingredients of most commercial snake repellent. The second type of mothball which is not composed of naphthalene is useless. The mothballs don't act as an irritant but rather attack the snakes sensory system. It doesn't work 100% on all species but lab tests at the University of Florida established it works well enough to significantly cut the risk. On eastern coral snakes the lab tests showed 100% effectiveness. American coral snakes are cousins of the cobra. I'll be picking up a supply of naphthalene mothballs and sulphur today.

UF Labs test results here:

http://www.pestproducts.com/snakeinfo.htm

[Dawn]

DLock & ChiangMaiAmerican,

Thanks for your posts - greatly appreciated and very informative.

I think the best thing to do is have a 'training session' with the vet and get him/her to buy the anti-venom for us. I'm sure they'll be more than willing if we explain we're going to be on a small island where as speedy response will be needed.

Hmmmm, think we'll be investing in moth balls and sulphur too!

Cheers

Dawn

[Master Chief]

Seems like from reading the posts here that mostly the straith forward attacking dogs get struck by snakes, I have seen many other dog breeds, small to big just playing around with even king kobras.

Sad to hear about, your lost paw friends,

[GraemeF]

we live in a jungly area in singapore and have plenty of black spitting cobras, we put sulphur flakes around are garden perimiter to keep them out !

[chickencurry]

As a relatively new visitor to Phuket, what is the best thing to do when confronted by a cobra - scream/shout/make noise or walk away quietly.... or are they really not interested in humans? (We don't have dogs.)

Also, how do you know if the snake is dangerous or not? Any links on this site to types of snakes in Phuket?

[borracho]

As a relatively new visitor to Phuket, what is the best thing to do when confronted by a cobra - scream/shout/make noise or walk away quietly.... or are they really not interested in humans? (We don't have dogs.)

It will be more afraid of you, give it plenty of room and it will go away.

Also, how do you know if the snake is dangerous or not? Any links on this site to types of snakes in Phuket?

Thailand has an awful lot of venomous snakes. Generally if it's not a constrictor it's likely to be venomous.

[lazeeboy]

As a relatively new visitor to Phuket, what is the best thing to do when confronted by a cobra - scream/shout/make noise or walk away quietly.... or are they really not interested in humans? (We don't have dogs.)

Also, how do you know if the snake is dangerous or not? Any links on this site to types of snakes in Phuket?

just take a step back ,they cant jump ,can only move when not upright ..........