Warning for dog owners after a beloved family pet had his paw blown up 'like a BALLOON' after stepping on a stonefish
- Dog owner warned of venomous stonefish on beaches after her pet was stung
- Angela Braewood, 29, was walking her dogs Shelby and Suzi at a beach in QLD
- She said Shelby lucky to have fully recovered after paw puffed up like a balloon
A dog owner has issued a warning to other pet owners after her beloved pooch became ill from stepping on a suspected highly venomous stonefish during a walk on the beach.
Angela Braewood from Brisbane had brought her two-year-old Belgian Shepherd cross Shelby to the off leash dog beach in the coastal suburb of Cleveland on August 4.
'She was running around in the shallow water with my other dog Suzi having fun and she suddenly stopped and started holding her paw up,' Ms Braewood told Daily Mail Australia.
A dog owner has warned other pet owners after her beloved pooch (pictured) became ill from stepping on a suspected highly venomous stonefish during a walk on the beach
Shelby the dog during his over night observation at Animal Emergency Service Brisbane
The 29-year-old said Shelby was not showing any signs of distress or making any noises so she washed the debris from her paw and let her keep playing.
'Shortly after I got her home, she held her paw up and that is when we sat and watched her for a few minutes and saw that her foot had started to puff up.'
Ms Braewood said her dog's paw became red and continued to swell, prompting her and her partner to rush the dog to the emergency vet.
'She's quite a petite dog and after about two hours her paw had blown up like a balloon to double the size.'
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The pair took Shelby to Animal Emergency Service in Brisbane where Dr Brooke Schampers, 25, treated the pup by keeping her in overnight for observation and sedating her to take a closer look at her paw.
Ms Braewood said she would invest in some beach booties for her four-legged friend (pictured: Angela Braewood and a recovered Shelby)
Shelby had a small gash on the underside of her paw about a centimetre long and four centimetres deep with the tissue around the wound already starting to die off.
The tissue damage along with the swelling, wound type, and the location of the beach at low tide led the vets to suspect a venemous marine species - probably a stonefish.
These fish have a number of long venom-tipped spines along their back which protrude to protect themselves and catch food when the fish are camouflaged in mud or between rocks.
The fish, found throughout Australia's warmer waters, are one of the most venomous in the world and there have been recorded deadly cases of dogs who have been stung by stonefish.
'The initial worry was not knowing if the skin around the wound would continue to die but in her case, it didn't'.
Shelby the dog's paw puffed up like a balloon to double the size (pictured)
'We are so lucky. After a few bandage changes, check ups and a few weeks of extra TLC, she is now doing very well and has healed completely.'
Ms Braewood said she had no knowledge that stonefish were even in the area and had some advice for dog owners.
'My advice would be to gain a bit more knowledge of the possible dangers that are out there. And invest in some beach booties for your dogs to better protect their paws.'
Ms Brawewood also recommended pet insurance, saying she was able to claim some of the bill back for Shelby's after hours treatment.
Ms Brawewood also recommended pet insurance, saying she was able to claim some of the bill back for Shelby's after hours treatment
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