TIME IS CRUCIAL!! SNAKE BITES CAN BE DEADLY.
EVEN WITH EARLY TREATMENT, ONLY 60% OF DOGS WILL SURVIVE A SNAKE BITE.
WITHOUT TREATMENT, UNFORTUNATELY MOST ANIMALS WILL DIE.

IF YOU THINK YOUR PET HAS BEEN BITTEN:

Do's:

·         You must transport your pet to the vet immediately.

• Call the vet on the telephone to advise them of the situation so that they can prepare
• The sooner we can treat your pet the better their chance of survival.

·         Immobilize your pet and try to keep it as still as possible

·         Maintain your own calm

• If you get in an accident or hurt taking your pet to the vet it may die

Don't's:

·         Don’t allow your pet to walk

·         Don’t cut the bitten area or suck the venom out of the bite

·         Don’t apply ice to the wound it causes the venom to spread more rapidly

·         Don’t apply a tourniquet

·         Don’t ‘wait and see’ if the symptoms get better – early treatment is vital to survival.

·         Don’t try and kill the snake

• Take a picture from a safe distance if safe to do so

SYMPTOMS OF A SNAKE BITE:

Sudden weakness followed by collapse
Loss of bladder or bowel control
Vomiting
Dilated pupils
Bleeding that does not clot
Neurological signs such as drooling, shaking or twitching of the muscles and difficulty blinking
Pain or distress (often characterized b groaning, crying, panting etc)
Ascending paralysis (hind legs affected first, followed by forelegs)
Blood in urine
Bleeding puncture wound
Swelling of the bitten area

You may not be able to see the bite marks due to the pet's hair and the swelling in the area of the bite.