(Forbidden) Shepherd dog Max was bitten by a beaver while swimming: “a lot of blood came out of the wound” (Willebrook)

It was about 7:30 on a Saturday when Stephanie went out for a walk with Max as usual. Max, a cross between a Malinois and a Caucasian Shepherd, is 7.5 years old and a real playful bird. The Bijnweiden Nature Reserve in Klein-Willebruck is part of the Broc de Noire and is a lovely green area to walk. There are also some shallow ponds in the area where Manx like to cool off when the weather is nice.

“Part of the nature reserve is closed because there could be PFOS contamination. But the part we walk in is accessible to everyone, including dogs. I too would never let Max go in the water if I knew it was polluted.” The pond is shallow enough for Max to stand in there.”

tail clap

Stephanie, watching her dog enjoy a snack on such a hot day, takes out her smartphone to film Max. “Then it happened. I saw Max barking at something. It was a beaver. I was amazed at how big such an animal was. Max is no small dog, but the beaver was about the same size. At first the beaver The tail hit the water. Then it disappeared below the surface of the water and attacked Max. I think the animal was startled by my dog ​​barking. The video clearly shows how Max was bitten Is. (read more below photo)

Stephanie immediately calls Max back to her. He had a deep flesh wound in his groin. “The beaver had bitten through the thin skin tissue in his groin. There was a lot of blood coming out of the wound and Max was limping or walking on three legs.

As soon as Stephanie got home with Max, she called a vet on duty. He didn’t want to believe her at first and then downplayed the incident. “Through the grapevine, I finally ended up with another vet. He immediately gave Max an injection and washed the wound. He told me that an otter is an animal that lives at the bottom of a pond and So there could be bacteria with him and there would be a chance that Max would get a fever. He prescribed an antibiotic which Max still takes today.

no swimming

Stephanie will definitely never send Max into the water in Bijenweden again, but at the same time she wonders how safe it is to swim in the nearby lakes of De Boch and Hezewinkel. Beavers also live there. They use those puddles to cross into the Het Brok nature reserve where there are several beaver dams. (read more below photo)

There have been a lot of beavers in this area in recent years. The animal has few or no natural enemies. Stephanie was not aware of any damage, but the dogs in Biezenwieden must be kept on a leash. And swimming is strictly prohibited, even for dogs.

lesson learned

Luckily, Max is doing a little better in the meantime. “I take care of his wound daily. It may be that stitches are still needed, but first we have to make sure there is no swelling. He still sleeps a lot, but is starting to walk again. He barely did it the first two days. I think we were lucky that Max is a strong animal and the beaver didn’t bite anywhere else. I’ve learned my lesson and I won’t let Max go in the water again,” says Stephanie.