Strychnine -bit of a worry!

[MarDon]

Hi all,

So, my son, his two mates and two (much loved) dogs go for a camping/fishing weekend this past weekend. They are camped off the side of the road, close to a river up past Chillagoe. Dogs having fun, running and playing close by, when his little Kelpie stiffens out and starts fitting, and again, and again...so panic sets in, (of course the sat phone won't pick up a satellite fast enough) so mad dash towards regular phone reception. The boys were thinking snakebite. Get to Chillagoe, they call us, we call the vet, and he thinks 1080 or strychnine, OMG!!!  :'(This is at about 6pm Saturday night and they're still 2 hours away!! Finally get little Tess to the vet  and he says strychnine,  and the little trouper had made it that far so should be okay. Vet sedates her to stop the fits and puts in a drip, and keeps her for a worrying 24 hours.

We've been away and seen signs stating 1080 baits in different areas, but not for strychnine, vet is surprised because he thinks it's quite hard to get nowadays. So now I'm thinking, what do we look for in future, and how do others keep their dogs safe? How is this stuff presented? Should we report it? (I want to, no one else thinks so).

Has anyone else had this sort of experience?

Dee.

[Mace]

Definetly report it, as its probably been used outside its use guidelines. Qld Health dept.

see:

http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/4790_8297.htm
http://www.health.qld.gov.au/ph/Documents/ehu/strychnine-form.pdf

Use of chemicals like 1080 is heavily regulated down here, strychnine is a no no, but lots still about in old tins in farms. 1080 Use must be made public by way of signs and they should only be used in bait stations if used in public areas.

Scary stuff, great that Tess survived.

[KingBilly]

Glad to hear the little kelpie survived.  Never nice to hear of such stories.

Strychnine is still legal to use in Qld as per the posted link http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/4790_8297.htm if the landowner has a permit.

The use of strychnine is strictly regulated, and landowners are required to obtain a permit from Queensland Health before they can obtain, possess or use the chemical.

Were the boys camped on private property or on the road reserve?  If on private property, I would be surprised the landowner who gave them permission to camp there hadn't informed them of the property's baiting program.  If on a road reserve, I am hoping the bait was dragged there by another animal or dropped by a bird and not left there intentionally.

KB

[BigJules]

There has been a few convictions recently of farmers baiting without permits and controls.

[MarDon]

Thanks for the links, interesting and scary reading actually. 

She's a very lucky little girl, and always seems to be in some sort of pickle! Has had a few trips to the vet in the 10 months of ownership!!

It was just off the Developmental Road, at a crossing, so not on anyone's property, and yeah, if they are on anyone's property, the landowners are always good about warning him about things like that, any baits, other campers, hunters etc...I guess that comes with asking permission first.

Anyway all good now, and a happy girl in the backyard again. 

Dee.

[duggie]

It was just off the Developmental Road, at a crossing, so not on anyone's property, and yeah, if they are on anyone's property, the landowners are always good about warning him about things like that, any baits, other campers, hunters etc...I guess that comes with asking permission first.

The problem here is that the development road is on property land as it splits the properties, Same land on both sides as well as for the crossings. The old rule was 1 chain (22 yards) from the center on both sides.


I am not sticking up for the property owners, and I am very pleased that your pet has survived, but the baits could well have been more than the 1 chain from the road center

[sparksy]

Glad to see she came out of it  OK.

When I lived in Cunderdin back in the 80's some Pr*ck threw a strychnine bait into my backyard and my Bully bitch ate it.
Sorry to say she didnt survive, not a nice way for her to go.

 

[Kit_e_kat9]

Glad she's okay.  I think you'll need to train Tess in what can be eaten and when.  No permission ... no eat.  It can be done.  Your boys will also need to keep an closer eye on her.

Kit_e

[Taz64]

Yes you can train them to only eat when given permission.  My adult Mastiff won't even take a liver treat from the Vet.  If he puts it in her mouth she drops it to the floor.  The Vet gives it to me and then I give it to her.

[KingBilly]

It was just off the Developmental Road, at a crossing, so not on anyone's property

I doubt it would have been on a road reserve.  The road reserve normally parallels the road.  The government doesn't normally add extra land for camping and picnicking areas when they survey and resume properties for road construction.  They only resume the bare minimum.  Rest areas being the exception.  As duggie says above, only about 22 metres either side of the road's centre line is the road reserve.  I'm guessing your son would have been on private property even though the area may have looked like a great place to camp by the river.

Also, waterholes/rivers etc are prime spots to put baits as feral animals frequent these areas.  Anyone taking a domestic animal into this type of country needs to keep their animals under control.

Just an unfortunate set of circumstances but luckily not lethal this time.

KB

[Mace]

This link provides information on 1080 baiting requirements and treatments.

http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/pubs/dog004-ground-baiting-wild-dogs-1080.pdf