When eight-year-old Franki was carried into the Animal Referral Hospital (ARH) in Baulkham Hills a few weeks ago, she was regurgitating, retching and gagging, with paralysis starting to set into her worn-out body.
Andrea [in the interest of privacy, the name has been changed] wasn't sure what was wrong with her Cattle Dog cross Maremma, but had a strong suspicion she was attacked by the death adder snake she saw on her Hawkesbury property earlier that day.
Andrea went through snake pictures with the ARH's emergency veterinary nurse, Erin Sharp, to see if she could identify what she had seen. "Andrea pointed to the death adder, which is a very shy type of snake and rarely approaches people or other animals," Sharp said. "However, it's one of the deadliest snakes in the world. It is a smaller snake with a lure-like tail that it shakes to attract its prey."
This is what probably caught Franki's attention and got her into such a life-threatening situation, said Andrea. The gentle giant, however, put up a good fight as the ARH team discovered multiple bite wounds on her body, including the tongue.
"We had no knowledge that Franki might have been bitten," Andrea said. "I came across a death adder in the front yard at around 3pm. Two hours later I saw Franki frothing at the mouth and staggering; her back legs wouldn't work. We had spent time together that afternoon, done a bit of exercise, gone to the creek. I didn't know (she was bitten). It took so long for the symptoms to come on. It's the fastest snake in the world, but its venom acts slowly."
Because Franki is such a big dog, Andrea knew it had to be something "pretty major" to cause such a reaction. She acted quickly – with the help of neighbours she got Franki into the car and headed for the nearest veterinary hospital.
ARH open after hours
"We were calling all the vet hospitals on the way to Windsor and nobody was open," Andrea said. "All the answering machines had a message to contact the ARH Baulkham Hills after hours. Franki was getting a lot worse so we gave up calling and drove straight to the ARH."
What followed afterwards at the emergency hospital, Andrea related, was like watching scenes from the TV medical drama Grey's Anatomy. The veterinary staff under the direction of Dr Scott Smith were simultaneously tending to several serious, emergency cases while running various medical tests and working to keep Franki stable.
A Snake Venom Detection test – available to help identify the causative snake – confirmed the bite came from a death adder, said Sharp. The test can identify several different species of Australian snakes. By midnight, Franki was in an induced coma and waiting for the death adder snake anti-venom that would ultimately save her life.
"We had a lot of trouble finding the anti-venom," said Sharp, who worked on Franki with Dr Smith for nearly 10 hours straight. "We tried seven hospitals in Sydney – some were unable to assist, others had limited stock. But the guys at Nepean Hospital were awesome!"
Awesome is an understatement – Nepean Hospital's triage nurses went beyond their call of duty and ended up waking a hospital executive in the early hours of the morning to release the anti-venom vial, which subsequently saved Franki's life.
"The triage nurses were all rooting for Franki when I went to pick up the anti-venom," Andrea said. "They were saying 'Go Franki. Go Franki'. One nurse ripped a page out of her street directory and copied it for me so I could go the quickest way back to Baulkham Hills."
The anti-venom arrives
It wasn't until 6am when Franki started receiving the anti-venom. By midmorning, the ARH General Manager Troy James arrived in an ambulance, equipped with all the necessary equipment to keep Franki stable while transporting her to the ARH's new 24-hour facility in Homebush.
Upon arrival, she was mechanically ventilated in the ARH's dedicated Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and nursed back to health under the specialist care of Dr Narelle Brown.
"When Franki arrived from Baulkham Hills, she still had a very good chance of survival as we are in the position to be able to put her on a ventilator," Dr Brown said. "If Franki was not able to be ventilated, then she would have almost certainly died."
Andrea was amazed by Franki's speedy recovery in just four days. "We thought she'd be unable to walk, but she was normal, bright-eyed and walking around," she said, praising the ARH staff and thanking Nepean Hospital's triage nurses for helping to save Franki's life.
The whole experience left Franki's loved ones bewildered by how quickly things could go from bad to worse in a short period of time. They also realised that getting to a vet hospital quickly made the difference between life and death.
"It's really great to see a client so dedicated (to their pet)," said Sharp. "And Franki's battle was one that started on a very steep uphill slope, and she fought and fought until she was running and playing again – hopefully not with snakes!"
Signs of a snake bite
The main early signs in dogs in decreasing frequency are:
- Salivation (drooling)
- Enlarged pupils
- Vomiting
- Hind limb weakness
- Rapid breathing
- Depression
Following a snake bite, the signs vary greatly depending on the dose of venom received, said Dr Brown.
"If you suspect your pet has been bitten by a snake, try to keep your pet as calm and still as possible and get to the nearest veterinary surgery," she said. "Even if the vet doesn't have a ventilator or doesn't stock the anti-venom, they can still intubate and manually ventilate the pet. It also can be an advantage to know in advance which local veterinary clinics stock anti-venom."
About The Animal Referral Hospital
The Animal Referral Hospital has launched a new era in veterinary care at its new state-of-the-art animal hospital in Homebush. It is the largest privately owned, 24-hour veterinary hospital in the southern hemisphere, offering pet owners an improved level of service with specialist care and advanced veterinary technology.
The ARH in Homebush can also accommodate pet owners who travel from the country and interstate at a hotel adjacent to the site – a short walk from Sydney's famous Paddy's Market.
The ARH in Baulkham Hills has been renovated with additional hospital and laboratory equipment to provide accurate and rapid results and provide an increased level of patient and client care, serving the West and Blue Mountains. The ARH currently employs nearly 100 staff over the two sites, including but not limited to general veterinarians, specialists and emergency nurses.
For more information or media interviews, please contact:
Troy James
General Manager
Animal Referral Hospital
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W 02 9758 8666
M 0410 647 974
