Beau makes ‘miraculous’ recovery after brown snake bite

A YORKSHIRE terrier who collapsed after a dog walk was lucky to survive after being bitten by a brown snake.

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A NORTHERN beaches vet is warning dog owners to be aware of brown snakes after a Yorkshire terrier nearly died after being bitten at Manly Dam.

The one-year-old pooch, called Beau, collapsed at home after returning from going for a walk and a swim on Monday.

Vet Jane Vine, of Allambie Vets, said Beau had made a “miraculous recovery” after he was brought in unresponsive with a slow heart rate.

Julia Offner with her dog Beau and vet Jane Vine, nurse Jasmin Maley, Owner Julia Offner with Beau and vet manager Natalie MacDonald.

“His heart was still beating but it was very, very, slow,” said Ms Vine, who treated two dogs for red belly snake bites last year, but had never come across a brown snake bite before.

She said a team of people — three vets and two nurses — battled to save him, administering oxygen and IV fluids, while also testing his blood and urine which revealed it was a brown snake bite.

Beau, the Yorkshire terrier, on oxygen at Allambie Vets.

He was given antivenene serum and quickly showed signs of improvement.

“He’s tiny, so he’s one lucky dog,” said Ms Vine.

Beau’s owner Julia Offner, 28, of Allambie Heights, said she had no idea he had been bitten as there was no yelp, no puncture marks or blood and he had been in sight nearly the whole time.

Vet Jane Vine with dog Beau, with owner Julie Offner, Jasmin Maley and Natalie MacDonald.

Ms Offner went to an appointment after the outing, leaving the dog with her parents who noticed he was uneasy on his feet, before he vomited and collapsed.

“My mum was holding him, patting his back and he lost consciousness. My dad puffed in his nose, like mouth to snout”, Ms Offner said.

Beau, the Yorkshire terrier, at home recovering after surviving a brown snake bite at Manly Dam.

She said the vet team “were amazing”.

She had been told that a brown snake bite could kill within 15 to 30 minutes, so Beau was extremely lucky to survive.

She said Beau was “such a little trooper”.

“I’m truly blessed. He’s my fur baby,” she said.