Coral Snake Bite Kills Dog

A Jupiter couple's pet dog is dead. The culprit was an unusually large coral snake.

Barbara Boshoff and her fiance' Robert Haury were at home Sunday Morning when Boshoff says she heard one of her dogs outside barking, as if he had a critter of some kind. She had no idea her yellow Labrador Retriever named Loomis had just tangled with a poisonous snake.

"I could see the colors of this coral snake," said Boshoff. "And I shouted to Bob, 'Loomis has got a coral snake.'"

The snake's body was cut. Loomis at first appeared to be just out of breath. But suddenly the dog dropped to ground and started foaming and salivating at the mouth.

Boshoff and Haury rushed Loomis to Emergency Pet Care of Jupiter. There veterinarian Dr. Eugenie Bucher put Loomis on a ventilator for hours. He responded well after the first four of six vials of anti-venom. Loomis again breathed on his own. But then the canine took another turn for the worse and died. Dr. Bucher says the dog died of complications from the snake's poison. A coral snake's venom has a paralyzing effect. And Loomis got a lot of it.

Dr. Bucher tells CBS 12 the dead snake measured 35 inches, almost three feet. Typically coral snakes are small, around a foot long. The vet believes the snake stored more venom than usual because its size.

"That's what labs do, they're hunters, and he just, grabbed the wrong thing," said a grieving Boshoff. "It's extremely tough, he's a family member."

Haury said, "I regard the dog as a hero because it could have been Barbara or (me) being bitten by the snake."

Haury and Boshoff say they will continue to allow their other two dogs to play outside. But they plan on trimming back vegetation high above the ground, keeping their plant beds weeded, and installing grass wherever they can-- all to give snakes fewer place to hide in their yard.

Even though the vets office significantly reduced the couple's bill, it still totals more than three thousand dollars. Anyone wishing to help with the cost may contact Emergency Pet Care of Jupiter at 300 South Central Boulevard, just south of Indiantown Road. The phone number is (561) 746-0555.