Comment: Travelling with Dogs

We travel quite alot with our 2 bichons. Before setting off, we obtain from our Vet a 1st Aid kit for our girls. This also includes tablets that can be given if they do unfortunately pick up a 1080 bait or a tick. Bandages are also important and any other medication that your Vet feels that you as a responsible owner should have. Another suggestion is to travel with there own WATER. Remember that what they drink at home will help them on the road as your 4 legged child will also get a stomach upset.
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Reply By: eighty matey - Sunday, Mar 04, 2012 at 16:09

Sunday, Mar 04, 2012 at 16:09
Thanks for the tips Steve O.

I never thought of a First Aid kit just for our dog. I'll get up to the vets and sort that out.

eighty matey
AnswerID: 479438

Reply By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Sunday, Mar 04, 2012 at 17:07

Sunday, Mar 04, 2012 at 17:07
Hi Steve

I was always under the impression that once a dog takes a bait, there is nothing to save the poor dog.

Some friends of mine that have station country west of Broken Hill, but in SA lost 2 of their own dogs from baits that they had put out for dingos.

When they found the first dog dead, they put its body onto the back of their tray top. There other health dog could sense that the other dog was dead and started to lick the poor dead dog around the face, in the hope that it could be revived.

12 hours later, they had to shoot that other dog, as they could not bare the pain of seeing it suffer in such pain and dyeing a painful death, all from licking the face area of the dog that took the bait.

If you ever get to Laverton in WA, there are signs up in the Caravan Park advising all people that travel with dogs how serious a problem it can be. There have been cases where dogs have died from licking tyres of vehicles that have driven over baits.


Cheers


Stephen
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AnswerID: 479442

Follow Up By: Member - Steve O (QLD) - Monday, Mar 05, 2012 at 09:39

Monday, Mar 05, 2012 at 09:39
Thank you all. I agree that an ounce of prevention is a whole lot better than a ton of cure. However, to avoid any confusion the tablets we carry supplied by the Vet are not a guaranteed fix. (the tablets make the dogs vomit within 5 minutes) However the Vet advised that basically it the best chance that they may have in the circumstances, given that we are going to be in remote areas not easily accessible to a vet. I guess better than standing around doing nothing. I would suggest that you talk to your own Vet and see what they come up with. I have "heard" NOT from the Vet that administering Vit C in large doses can also assist, but have no details re amounts etc. We just try to do the best we can and hope like hell we never have to try it. Cheers Rhonda (Steve & Rhonda)
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FollowupID: 754979

Reply By: Member - Richard H - West NSW - Monday, Mar 05, 2012 at 09:14

Monday, Mar 05, 2012 at 09:14
The use of the fox/wild dog bait 10-80 is pretty widespread.

However, one thing that must be done is in areas where it's used signs need to be displayed. This doesn't mean that they will be though.

I travel with two four legged vacuum cleaners, who will eat anything, so I keep a constant watch on them. When I stop on the road I'll have a scout around first to ensure that bait layers haven't been at work.

When I stop long enough to do so, not necessarily wee wee stops, I tie them up to the van. That stops them wandering away out of the supervised area.

There is an antidote to 10-80, but only vets carry it, and it must be administered pretty soon after the bait has been ingested. I didn't know that it was in tablet form, I believed it was administered by injection.

Growing up in an area where the paralysis tick was abundant, and after loosing a couple of dogs, we got wise. A dog will usually scratch a tick out as soon as it penetrates the skin as the point of penetration gets itchy. But... if they have a collar on they can't remove the tick from beneath that location, and unless you take the collar off, or constantly check the dogs neck area, they'll succumb to the poison.

Both of my 'darlings' are secured in the back of my vehicle at night, sans collar. And this prevents them from wandering, being a nuisance or getting off the chain.

If you own dogs, you have responsibility to check them fairly frequently for injuries, ticks, wounds, or anything else. A dog will not tell you it is unwell or hurt, as they mask injuries etc. as a self protection thing. This stems from their pack origins.

Despite their being a pain in the neck at times, they are still good company on the road.

And...yes, I have a doggy first aid kit, but no 10-80 antidote.
AnswerID: 479509

Follow Up By: Member - Steve O (QLD) - Monday, Mar 05, 2012 at 09:46

Monday, Mar 05, 2012 at 09:46
Thank you for your comments. What you say about constantly checking your dogs is true. They rely on you to be their protector in more than just one way. Prevention is better than cure if possible. Regards Rhonda (Steve & Rhonda)
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FollowupID: 754980

Follow Up By: oz doc - Monday, Mar 05, 2012 at 11:55

Monday, Mar 05, 2012 at 11:55
Hi Richard, as far as I am aware there is no antitdote for 1080 poison- for animals or humans. There has been some recent research into an antidote which looks promising, however nothing readily/commerically available. I would hate to give people false hope that if they could get their pets to the vet "in time" that there was an antidote the vet could give. 1080 is such a nasty poison- generally by the time your pet is showing any symptoms at all- it is too late. Also if I can comment on the reference further up to using large doses of Vitamin C for poisonings- this is sometimes used as a treatment for snake evenomation. Unfortunately there is no scientific evidence that vitamin c is of any use to treat snake evenomation. Anecdotal stories of patients surviving after being given vit c are merely evidence that not all snake evenomations lead to death. Appropriate first aid and prompt veterinary attention are the best course of action. Cheers, doc.
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FollowupID: 754986

Follow Up By: disco driver - Monday, Mar 05, 2012 at 12:40

Monday, Mar 05, 2012 at 12:40
Hi all,
As one who, in his working life laid 1080 baits for rabbits and dogs/foxes, I can say with confidence that there is NO antidote for 1080. Any animal that survives eating 1080 leads a very charmed life and I have never heard of one in the 25 years I was handling the stuff.

If you are going to remote areas that are/may have been baitedmake sure that your fourlegged friends wear muzzles ALL the time you have them in the bush.

My suggestions for keeping pets safe are
1.Muzzle on at all times fido is outside
2.Lead on at all times you are in the bush, don't let him/her run free unless you are prepared to wait for hours till fido decides that it's time to come back to your camp (Bush smells are very attractive)
3.Lead on when feeding unless you feed fido in a caravan.

For me personally, my pets have a holiday away from me whenever I go bush (House/pet sitters or kennels are really worth considering.

Disco.
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FollowupID: 754987

Reply By: Member - Barry P (VIC) - Monday, Mar 05, 2012 at 13:17

Monday, Mar 05, 2012 at 13:17
my vet advised me to buy some lectric crystals at the supermarket before you go away ,if you think your pet has got a bait ,put some crystals down the throat quickly to make it sick,and not to let any other pets near the bait that was sicked up,as this is also a dangerous time as the bait has been activated,if their is any chance of a vet any where get their quickly as you not have much time to save it,i know this is difficult as you could be miles away.when i go away i make inquiries where the vets are and phone numbers ,in the back blocks vets are few and far between ,a handy phone number to a vet,at home or any where could make all the difference bye now barry
AnswerID: 479526

Reply By: Member - *Rusty* - Friday, Mar 09, 2012 at 23:49

Friday, Mar 09, 2012 at 23:49
Muzzels and Leads is all you can do.

We have 2 dogs, and are very careful with the dogs and having their muzzels on. We take them camping everywhere with us and they will be coming with us next year on our lap.

In saying that, we have come close a couple of times when we thought the dogs were gone for good, the most recent was June last year camping midway up the WA coast in a remote camp. Dogs have had their muzzels on all day and we took them off to feed them dinner, and our dogs are usually pretty good and can be trusted off the lead when we are around, and other half fed them, off the lead as their dinner bowls were away from their beds, then both of us started doing the dishes from dinner and not even 2 minutes later, both dogs were gone, without their muzzels. The others camped near us heard us calling them and came to help and told us that a dog was taken by a bait last year in this spot. There were no signs anywhere when we came through the gate to the area, but we still left their muzzels on, only taking them off for dinner time.

Long story short, many many hours later and stressing, 1 dog came back on her own eventually all happy with herself, and the dumb one (she normally follows the other one everywhere) was eventually found in the wee hours trotting up a dirt track ages away going the wrong way. Both were safe and well. Lost 1 of their coats (as it was cold and i had already put their coats on).

Pretty sure the older (and smarter one) saw a rabbit and chased it, then the other dog just followed her. They made no noise or anything and they were not even 5m away from us when we fed them. Our dogs rarely bark.

They now stay on their 3m pastic coated wire leads even when getting fed.

Other suggestion is to invest in a good quality dog car harness. Both our magicians know how to slip out of their collars no matter how tight and also how to slip the large clip on the lead. Every night the lead is threaded through the seat belt sash, clipped onto the metal D buckle, and then attached to her collar as well.

Good quality plastic full enclosed muzzel is the only way to go. The halter type ones dont stop them from licking or picking up stuff. The plastic full mouth ones still let them drink when you fill the water bowl up a bit higher than normal.

My boss' dog was taken last year by a bait, terrible and traumatic experience for him and his wife.
AnswerID: 480019

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