Snakes Alive!!!!!

Spring and summer are a wonderful time of the year. But whilst they stir up visions of sun baked beaches and time outdoors, they are also the time where our venomous snakes are out and about. December and January see our highest numbers of snake bite incidents amongst patients visiting our hospital and not only can these cases be very costly to treat, they are often fatal. Here are some tips you can use to prevent your fur child from being bitten:

• Always keep your dog on a leash when walking – this will prevent him/ her wandering off into bush and scrub where the likelihood of an encounter is much higher
• When at the dog beach, please prevent your pets from wandering into the dunes as the scrub around these areas is also very dangerous
• If you do notice an encounter – get your pet into our hospital ASAP. The quicker treatment is started, the higher the chances of survival.
• Please do not try and capture the snake – this is dangerous. The anti-venom generally administered is a combined anti-venom, so identification is not always necessary. And please remember, snakes are a protected species.

For more information about Snake Bites in Dogs and Cat refer to our Information Sheet