Snake Bites

Unfortunately snake bites are quite a common occurence in our area during the warmer months of the year. Snakes tend to be more active towards the end of the day, which is when most bites occur. They are commonly found in bushy areas or near water, so it’s best to keep pets out of these areas if possible. When walking your dog, particularly off-leash, keep a close eye on them as many dogs think snakes are great fun to chase. Veterinary Nurse Maddison, who runs our puppy pre-school classes at Kilcoy Vet Practice, says if you’re going to walk your dog off-leash you need to ensure you have taught them good recall. That way if they start to chase something that might be a snake you can call them away instantly.

As the weather continues to warm up, snakes may venture into backyards and areas closer to town. Keeping your grass short and your yard tidy and free of refuse will make your yard less appealing to snakes. Even so, unfortunately there is no way to guarantee your pets won’t encounter a snake either in your yard or out and about. This means that pet owners need to be aware of signs that can indicate their pet may have been bitten. It’s important to be aware of these signs as often owners will not actually see the bite occur.  The signs to watch out for are:

• Sudden weakness followed by collapse
• Seizures, twitching, drooling and shaking
• Vomiting
• Dilated pupils
• Swelling in the bitten area
• Paralysis
• Bleeding puncture wound

Not every pet that is bitten by a snake will show all of these signs or any, and often no bite marks can be found. Pets can sometimes have an episode of collapse after a bite, appear to recover but  then may deteriorate some hours later. If your pet is bitten by a snake the best thing to do is to call the practice immediately so that we can prepare for your pet’s arrival for assessment and treatment. Even if you are unsure whether your pet has been bitten it is better to come in quickly as we can perform a simple and inexpensive blood test which will indicate if it is likely a snake has bitten your pet. Treatment for a snake bite is very intensive and involves administering the anti-venom as well as other supportive treatments intravenously, followed by extensive supportive care.

Horses, sheep and cattle are also susceptible to snake venom. Signs in these animals that can indicate a snake bite include muscle tremors, laboured breathing, dilated pupils and paralysis.