Blog

Deter snakes

Deter snakes
It’s summer time which means snakes are active! It’s important to be aware of snakes and how to deter them to ensure your furry friends are kept safe. Meet Voodoo, she was brought to Uni Vets Camden after she was found drooling excessively with a deceased snake in her backyard. She was rushed to Uni…
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Heat stress in dogs

Heat stress in dogs
This is the handsome Jett, who came into Uni Vets Camden because the heatwave proved too much for him (especially with his thick, black fur)! Like humans, pets can suffer from heat stress when they’re exposed to extreme temperatures. However, unlike humans, dogs can’t produce sweat to cool their body down. While they can release…
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Animals in Need

Animals in Need
Sometimes, unforeseen accidents happen. Unfortunately for Sandy, she went missing one night and returned the next day with a severely broken leg. While we may never know exactly what happened, it is presumed that she was involved in an altercation with a fox, resulting in her leg being caught and twisted at an odd angle. Radiographs…
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Snake Bite – Lizzy

 Lizzy, a 6yo German Short hair Pointer was brought into Camden Uni Vets recently after she was bitten on the bridge of her nose by a red-bellied black snake. Her family acted quickly and Lizzy arrived at the clinic soon after the incident to receive a dose of lifesaving antivenom.
Red-bellied Black snake venom can cause clotting defects, damage of blood cell and muscle cells, paralysis and cardiovascular failure. Haemoglobin and myoglobin are released from damaged blood cells and muscle cells, these can be toxic to the kidneys. Unfortunately, Lizzy developed red tinged urine which indicated there was high risk of damage to her kidneys. To prevent development of secondary renal (kidney) failure, Lizzy was hospitalised for 5 days and kept on fluids and diuretics to help dilute the urine and protect her kidneys. After her hospital stay at Camden Uni Vets, Lizzy made a full recovery and was happily sent home to hopefully not be playing with any snakes again.
By Rena Shibata, final year veterinary student, University of Sydney