Pesky Critters

Simon & Nicky

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Feb 3, 2004
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Yesterday I took my friends dog for a walk along the beach near Cabarete. It was out of my sight for a few seconds as I returned to the house. Within 5 minutes it started to vomit, then it lost control of it's bowels. Within ten minutes it's eye's rolled and it collapsed. Thanks to the fantastic work of Juy's Pet Lodge / Dr. Bob the dog survived a most nasty bout of swelling / illness. At one time Dr. Bob telephoned me to tell me the prognosis was bad and he told me to prepare for the worst. We are very lucky and very thankfull to a great team of dedicated people, BUT what caused this?

Apparently (and excuse my spelling) the dog was bitten by a Pica Borra fly. I know no more than that but apparently two other dogs were not so lucky in the last week or so and died as a result of the bite / sting.

Can anyone please shine some more light on this beastie? Especially with regards to its effect on humans?

Thanks

(It has to me me eh? - another deadly beast to add to the collection)!
 

Mirador

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If you happen to find a Pica Borra Fly in Caberete, or in the entire island for that matter, you are one lucky fella, since it will be the first of a new species discovered. There are now poisonous flies in the entire island. However, there is a species of fly, locally know as T?bano, which produces a nasty bite that tends to become infected if not treated early. Sorry about your dog, I'm familiar with the symptoms, and he/she obviously ate a poisoned morsel, something frequently prepared by dog haters or those who consider predatory canines a pest... However, the poison was definitely not 'tres pasitos' , or your dog wouldn't be alive to bark the story...
 

Simon & Nicky

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I'm sorry you are wrong ...

You are dealing with Dr. Bob here - a Disease Diagnostician Veterinarian of the highest repute B.S / D.V.M. (and all around nice chap). I am informed that this fly is not native to the island but has set up home here. None of the symptoms (swollen blue tongue, facial swelling, fluid on the lungs) has anything to do with eating rat poison, also the fact that it took less than ten minutes for the dog to drop. This is a very serious problem - two dogs are dead and one very lucky and all in the past few weeks as reported from just one Veterinarian.

The dog was back home and bouncing around the garden some six or seven hours after the bite - hardly the case had it have been poisoned.

Please don't confuse the issue by a remark about something which we all know about and which in this case is patently and obviously not the cause. Had I have assumed what you think the problem was then the dog would have been dead.

Any other thoughts? Or news on the subject?
 

Chris

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Oct 21, 2002
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Hey Simon & Nicky, yes, it has to be you ;)
Perhaps you can find out the correct spelling or name for the beasty from Dr Bob. I googled pica borra fly and got nothing significant. What is this thing?
 

Mirador

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Simon & Nicky said:
You are dealing with Dr. Bob here - a Disease Diagnostician Veterinarian of the highest repute B.S / D.V.M. (and all around nice chap). I am informed that this fly is not native to the island but has set up home here. None of the symptoms (swollen blue tongue, facial swelling, fluid on the lungs) has anything to do with eating rat poison, also the fact that it took less than ten minutes for the dog to drop. This is a very serious problem - two dogs are dead and one very lucky and all in the past few weeks as reported from just one Veterinarian.

The dog was back home and bouncing around the garden some six or seven hours after the bite - hardly the case had it have been poisoned.

Please don't confuse the issue by a remark about something which we all know about and which in this case is patently and obviously not the cause. Had I have assumed what you think the problem was then the dog would have been dead.

Any other thoughts? Or news on the subject?


I'm not 'confusing the issue by a remark', and I can assure you that I know what I'm talking about, and in this case your reputed 'B.S / D.V.M.' and yourself wrong. I'm willing to wager US$100.000 that there's no such thing as a dog biting 'pica bora' fly or similar species, native or non native, in the DR. Would you agree for Robert to handle the bet?


-
 

Simon & Nicky

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While I could certainly use 100K I'll just get the full diagnosis from Judy and Bob in the morning - You think they've never seen a poisoned dog before or you think I'm making it up? Take your pick
 

Chris

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Oct 21, 2002
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Pistols or swords? paces? 10, 50 or 100?. ;) Two supporters on each side? At dawn, Cabarete beach?

Seriously, just get the right info from Dr Bob. I am sure he is not impaired or inebriated and knows what he is talking about.
 

DRshooter

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Sounds like poison to me....

I'm not a vet. I'm an M.D. and the symptoms you describe your dog as having sound a lot like rat poison (trespasitos) a carbamate that inhibits acetyl-colinesterase and gives parasypathetic symptoms (diarrea, vomiting, drooling, circulatory colapse, increase in overall secretions, pinpoint pupils).

This is treated with lots and lots of atropine and/or pralidoxime.

I really don't think there is a "fly bite" that can cause these symptoms...

When in doubt, use ocham's razor(all things being equal, the most simple explanation is usually the correct one)...what's more probable...a new killer fly...or rat poison...??
 

juanita

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DRshooter! Are atropine and/or pralidoxime something I can buy from the pharmacy and keep at home in case some neighbor decides to feed my dog some albondigas de trespasitos?
 

DRshooter

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Atropine

I think you can get atropine at the drugstore. But it has to be adm IV. So you would have to start one on your dog and I don't think that would be easy for someone with no training.
The best thing is to rush the dog to the vet...

Pralidoxime I have yet to see in this country...I know about it because it's a question on the USMLE (United States Medical License Exam) Don't know if you can get it here.
 

Sunny44

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Simon & Nicky said:
While I could certainly use 100K I'll just get the full diagnosis from Judy and Bob in the morning - You think they've never seen a poisoned dog before or you think I'm making it up? Take your pick

Hi! Just wondering if you ever got the diagnosis?
Sunny
 

DRshooter

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Atropine

It's epinephrine that comes in pen form here. It's called an Epi-pen. It's used in anaphlaxis, not in poisoning.
I have heard about that atropine pen for emergencies used by the military...but I have never seen it here or in the US.
I guess if you want to adm atropine IM it would do more good than harm...but IV is the standard route of adm in the ER.
 
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Simon & Nicky

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Still here ...

Ok, the full SP is as follows:

The fly bite had not been reported on the North Coast of the Dominican republic for 18 years. Then, in a very short space of time 2 dogs died from a bite in the Perla Marina area. The vets could not recognise the symptoms and could do nothing to save either of them. They responded to none of the usual treatments. When the 3rd dog (Trinity) went down with the same symptoms Dr. Bob and Judy cast their net wider looking for a cause and were reminded by a fellow expert in tropical disease and nasty bites of the fly known locally as Pica Burro. It usually attacks donkeys and cattle. The bite nearly always leads to gangrene and consequently, death. I have asked Dr. Bob for the proper latin name for the fly and he will come back to me when he has it.

In the meanwhile, as I suggested before if you live in the Perla Marina area and your dog suddenly (and I mean suddenly) collapses, suffering from a swelling in the mouth and face you must rush it immediately to a vet. By all means let the vet treat the animal for poisoning but I steadfastly recommend that you at least mention the possibility of the fly bite.

I think that sums it up. I will graciously accept cash or cheque made payable to Sosua Kids.;)