With temperatures rising, Western Rivers Veterinary Group are reporting an increase in pets bought into clinics after being bitten by snakes. Western Rivers Veterinarian Hannah Fotheringham said the clinic have treated 10 patients suffering from snake bites, and warns owners should rush snake-bitten pests to receive an antivenom. “Theyre very common at this time of year,” Ms Fotheringham said. “Generally if [pets] get bitten by any snake, a brown or black we need to treat as soon as possible.” Ms Fotheringham said that while symptoms of a snakebite vary from coagulopathy (inability to clot blood) to paralysis, common early signs include: dilated pupils, weakness around steadiness, shaking, hypersalivation, diarrhoea, muscle tremors, seizures, bloody urine and difficulty breathing. “Shortly after the animal is bitten, they will often vomit, become weak and collapse but then appear to recover.” “Theyre not signs where you definitely think its a snake bite, its more of a clinical history and picture were getting,” Ms Fotheringham said. “If we get a dog looking like this, and because of the time of year we will go straight in and do a clotting test and that will tell us if theyre clotting or not.” Statistics show that the survival rate for recovery after receiving antivenom is 91 percent for cats and 75 percent for dogs, but depends on how much venom is injected and how quickly treatment is received. “My advice is to bring [animals] in straight away, bring the snake with it if you can and its dead,” Ms Fotheringham said. Ms Fotheringham treatment for all bites is the same, however advises people to seriously consider pet insurance. “Generally we have to keep injecting antivenom until we start to see them stabilise, so we may need to give more than one antivenom. “You probably wont be saving them if you dont get the antivenin in them and thats $700 each time.” While its difficult to prevent snake bites, Ms Fotheringham keeping your grass mowed and not having things where snakes can hide can help, but encourages people if they do see a snake give it time to go away as most pets are bitten by snakes when they attack or harass them. “Also with other dogs, even if they dont look like theyve been bitten, keep a close eye on them or even bring them in and we can do a quick test to make sure they havent been bitten as well,” she said.

With temperatures rising, Western Rivers Veterinary Group are reporting an increase in pets bought into clinics after being bitten by snakes.

Western Rivers Veterinarian Hannah Fotheringham said the clinic have treated 10 patients suffering from snake bites, and warns owners should rush snake-bitten pests to receive an antivenom.

“Theyre very common at this time of year,” Ms Fotheringham said.

“Generally if [pets] get bitten by any snake, a brown or black we need to treat as soon as possible.”

Ms Fotheringham said that while symptoms of a snakebite vary from coagulopathy (inability to clot blood) to paralysis, common early signs include: dilated pupils, weakness around steadiness, shaking, hypersalivation, diarrhoea, muscle tremors, seizures, bloody urine and difficulty breathing.

“Shortly after the animal is bitten, they will often vomit, become weak and collapse but then appear to recover.”

“Theyre not signs where you definitely think its a snake bite, its more of a clinical history and picture were getting,” Ms Fotheringham said.

“If we get a dog looking like this, and because of the time of year we will go straight in and do a clotting test and that will tell us if theyre clotting or not.”

Statistics show that the survival rate for recovery after receiving antivenom is 91 percent for cats and 75 percent for dogs, but depends on how much venom is injected and how quickly treatment is received.

“My advice is to bring [animals] in straight away, bring the snake with it if you can and its dead,” Ms Fotheringham said.

Ms Fotheringham treatment for all bites is the same, however advises people to seriously consider pet insurance.

“Generally we have to keep injecting antivenom until we start to see them stabilise, so we may need to give more than one antivenom.

“You probably wont be saving them if you dont get the antivenin in them and thats $700 each time.”

While its difficult to prevent snake bites, Ms Fotheringham keeping your grass mowed and not having things where snakes can hide can help, but encourages people if they do see a snake give it time to go away as most pets are bitten by snakes when they attack or harass them.

“Also with other dogs, even if they dont look like theyve been bitten, keep a close eye on them or even bring them in and we can do a quick test to make sure they havent been bitten as well,” she said.

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Nyngan Observer

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