Lucky me...on good Friday I was kiting @ Point Walter & managed to get stung by what I think was a cobbler.
I got 'jabbed' on the top/side of my right foot - the barb bounced off a bone & fortunately, didn't go all the way in, but just enough to leave some pretty horrible poison in my foot.
On the day, I managed to get my foot into a bucket of almost boiling water for a good hour or so, but ended up at a GP getting a local anesthetic. That was great but only lasted for about 45 mins & then I was on to a few too many pain killers for the rest of the day...
Anyhoo, that was a week & a half ago...the 'spot' where I got stung is still itchy & a tad inflamed. Is this normal or can someone with previous cobbler experience suggest what to do please? It's certainly not painful, just friggin' itchy.
Any advice greatly appreciated.
Juddy
hello,
i was stung too this summer and the lump is still there but smaller now. i did not get injection or used water but was standing most of the time walking around. got lucky maybe the bone was also there. the hospital told me to be careful because of infections. i think the cobbler harpoon can be quite dirty. you might want to have it checked if that pain or redness last more than a few days.
marc-a.
Good news! You'll live!
Cnidoglanis macrocephalus A.K.A. Cobbler or Estuary Catfish
The poor thing has as its only defense, three barbed spines around the head. There are other mean and nasties with spines out there in the water as well but they all pretty much have the same effects.
Pain- manifestations include severe local pain, sometimes with vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle fasciculation (muscle twitching) in the involved extremity.
Some venom has vasoconstrictive properties (that means they cause the blood vessels in the area to shrink) making the area around the wound pale and more prone to infection.
Treatment — Management of attacks should begin with copious flushing immediately with fresh water (salt water may be used at the scene) to remove as much venom as possible from the wound. Any visible fragments of spine should be removed. Submersion of the wound in hot water (32 to 46º C) for 30 to 90 minutes may inactivate some of the heat-sensitive protein components of the venom (basically like boiling an egg to turn the clear/liquid part into white/solid).
The wound should then be cleansed and debrided (cut away any dead tissue etc). Spines and are radiopaque (show up on x-ray); consequently, radiography or ultrasound may identify retained foreign material. The small boney parts that are left behind cause an increase risk for infection. If they don’t cause an infection, they will eventually be reabsorbed.
Top 5 most painful things to do
1. GIve birth (we guys get a waver on this one)
2. Pass a kidney stone.
3. Complete corneal abrasion.
4. Large joint dislocation.
5. Listening to George W. Bush.
