Creepy Crawlies - BEWARE
Submitted: Friday, May 08, 2009 at 07:15
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Gramps
For those travelling to FNQ -
Whistling Tarantulas
and
more
Reply By: Member - Rodney B- Friday, May 08, 2009 at 09:33
Friday, May 08, 2009 at 09:33
We nearly lost our dog two months ago near mackay. A small maltese and we let him out for a
toilet stop just south of Mackay on our way to
Mission Beach, and something bit him on the back leg. He yelped and wouldn't put his foot down.
Initially we thought it might have been a bull ant as he licked his leg for a couple of hours. Couldn't find any wound or marks though.
That night he went down
hill fast, couldn't pick him up as he screamed with pain, muscles around his neck bunched up and at one stage he stopped breathing and my wife shook him and fortunately he stared breathing again.
I actually said goodbye to him at 3 am and nursed him for 2 hours and eventually he just fell asleep. Next morning we managed to get him in to see a vet but apart from his general lethargy, couldn't find anything wrong. Gave him pain killers and antibiotics and over the next 4 days he slowly came good.
Wonder if it was a bite from this
spider.
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363816
Follow Up By: Member - Tony V (NSW) - Friday, May 08, 2009 at 10:34
Friday, May 08, 2009 at 10:34
Rodney B,
You may be right, the symptoms are similar.
"Although large, Australian tarantulas are not usually aggressive, but if provoked will 'rear up' and appear rather menacing. The bite is painful, as the fangs are large and as long as those of many snakes. Severe illness sometimes results and nausea and vomiting for six to eight hours have been reported from bites. It is possible that the growing popularity of keeping these spiders as pets may be responsible for an increase in reported bites. People who keep Australian tarantulas as pets must not attempt to handle them and should be very careful when cleaning their containers."
http://www.austmus.gov.au/factsheets/tarantula.htm
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