Dave Cumber Vets are used to acting quickly in an emergency but recently they have had to step up to the plate as they have treated 5 dogs which had been bitten by adders and brought into the Weymouth surgery in the last couple of weeks.
Adder bites are a medical emergency and can be fatal so dog owners need to act quickly if they think their dog has been bitten. On many occasions the dog owner may actually see the adder and the dog will almost certainly cry out as bites are very painful. There is usually severe swelling around the bite area and owners may see two puncture wounds. Bites around the face and throat are particularly dangerous because of the swelling. If the bite is severe the dog may actually collapse.
Top tips if you think your dog has been bitten:
· Try and keep the dog as calm and still as possible.
· It is better to bring transport to the dog rather than making them walk back.
· Go straight to your vet
· Do not interfere with the wound or tie any sort of tourniquet because there is a danger of tissue damage around the bite.
Treatment may include:
· anti-venom
· anti-inflammatory drugs
· antibiotics
· painkillers
· fluids
Early treatment is usually successful but the longer the delay the worse the prognosis. Dogs that have been bitten but not treated can go on to develop heart, kidney and liver failure over the next few days.
Adders are the only poisonous snake in Britain and can be active between February and October especially during the warm summer months. They are quite common in Dorset, favouring open rough ground, heathland and the edge of woodland.
Adders are easily told apart from grass snakes and slow worms by their distinctive, zig-zag markings and they can reach 70cms in length. At Dave Cumber Vets surgery in Weymouth they generally see 2 or 3 cases a year, so seeing 5 cases in April is unusual. Four of those cases were along the Fleet, Chickerell and the fifth was at Hardy’s Monument so take particular care if you are walking in those areas. The best advice is to take early action, so if you are worried please contact your vet immediately.
