Snakes Beware

Just a reminder to watch out when pooch decides to have a snuffle around the trees and bushes when out in the woods. I heard this morning of a puppy being killed by an adder snake at a local park just the other day. It was out for a walk with another dog which was also biten and survived.

Adders like to sunbathe too and will also hide in old piles of logs left in woods. Please keep a look out for pooch when he is sniffing around.

Thanks Kathy I have been very aware when we are in the woods, and Vinnie is sniffing about. There are some downsides to this gorgeous weather. 

Aww no poor pooches thanks kathy I'll keep my eyes peeled

Good post. People just assume that there are no fatal animals in the UK and let their guards down.

Well technically there shouldn't be! But ho hum, now there is. None in ireland though, st. patrick and all that... 

Yes good post, a friends dog got bitten by an adder in the woods we walk in! Not all vets carry the anti venom as it doesn't have a very long shelf life so it might be an idea to find out which vets near you has it Xx

Hayley wrote:Well technically there shouldn't be! But ho hum, now there is. None in ireland though, st. patrick and all that... 

Why shouldn't there be?  The adder is native.

This may be a silly question but do we get adders ooop north? I always thought they were just down south so it had never crossed my mind to look out for them. I know we get grass snakes but theyre not poisonous.

They do mainly live in Southern areas, but they can be found near enough anywhere in England, Scotland and Wales.

Well there you go, something new everyday  

It should be fine, as long as you don't let a pup or small dog root around in the undergrowth where adders have been spotted. They're not an aggressive species and would rather retreat.

thanks for that Kathy,i guess you tend to forget things like that,must be because we dont get that much good weather we dismiss snakes.poor dog  

Eleanor wrote:

Hayley wrote:Well technically there shouldn't be! But ho hum, now there is. None in ireland though, st. patrick and all that... 

Why shouldn't there be?  The adder is native.

I thought only the grass snake was native! my bad

  No, three out of four are actually native. The fourth was an escaped species from a zoo.

Another thing to remember is IF your dog gets bit or you suspect they have been bitten, keep them calm, and IF you can carry them to your car and take them straight to the vets.

Carrying them lowers their heart rate and slows the spread of the venom through the blood stream!

Good tip  

I wouldn't have known that either!

Definitely a good tip Ella

Should also try to elevate the bitten part (paw or leg, for example) above the heart, or as high up as possible without causing discomfort.

Thanks for the heads up everyone! Ive never even thought about running into a snake during walkies, and we're always in woods!

Sazzle wrote:This may be a silly question but do we get adders ooop north? I always thought they were just down south so it had never crossed my mind to look out for them. I know we get grass snakes but theyre not poisonous.

ohhh yes, they go right up north. I was on a two week training excercis in cultybraggan when one of the guys had to take a call of nature behind a tree and said snake took exception to being crapped on. let just say its never been that big before or after lol. my worst was midges and mossies the lil buggers.

while were on the warnings people, watch out for your dogs and hot concreate and tarmac in this weather as it can burn there pads quite bad. just touch it with your hand to see what they have to put up with when the sun has been shining on it for hours.

janey wrote:Yes good post, a friends dog got bitten by an adder in the woods we walk in! Not all vets carry the anti venom as it doesn't have a very long shelf life so it might be an idea to find out which vets near you has it Xx

Damn good idea Janey

Does anybody know how long you would have to get an adult dog to the vet for the anti venom if they have it ??

Adders are common throughout Britain but, as with the vast majority of snakes, will, where possible, try to avoid contact with humans. They are not an aggressive species and will slip into the undrergrowth when they "feel" a larger mammal approaching. This is the reason why they are seldom seen even in areas where they are prolific. They are at their most dangerous early in the day as, being cold blooded, are lethargic until they can raise their body temperature by basking in sunlight and can't always move quickly enough to avoid contact. An adder bite would be unlikely, even without treatment, to be fatal to a healthy dog the size of a staffy but would cause a great deal of discomfort.
In many years of hill walking here in Scotland I have only twice seen adders and on one of these occasions it was early morning and I moved the snake to the grass verge with my walking pole so as to avoid it being run over by a car.

Dave wrote:

janey wrote:Yes good post, a friends dog got bitten by an adder in the woods we walk in! Not all vets carry the anti venom as it doesn't have a very long shelf life so it might be an idea to find out which vets near you has it Xx

Damn good idea Janey

Does anybody know how long you would have to get an adult dog to the vet for the anti venom if they have it ??

adder bites aren't instantly fatal, and you would have a good few hours really before any problems would become very serious, especially if you carry the dog and keep their heart rate low.

Obviously there are exceptions to any thing, and I'd still get the dog to the vets ASAP

All great and useful info. thanks all

Great info, really good tip to know just in case!

reuben wrote:Adders are common throughout Britain but, as with the vast majority of snakes, will, where possible, try to avoid contact with humans. They are not an aggressive species and will slip into the undrergrowth when they "feel" a larger mammal approaching.   This is the reason why they are seldom seen even in areas where they are prolific.     They are at their most dangerous early in the day as, being cold blooded, are lethargic until they can raise their body temperature by basking in sunlight and can't always move quickly enough to avoid contact. An adder bite would be unlikely, even without treatment, to be fatal to a healthy dog the size of a staffy but would cause a great deal of discomfort.
In many years of hill walking here in Scotland I have only twice seen adders and on one of these occasions it was early morning and I moved the snake to the grass verge with my walking pole so as to avoid it being run over by a car.

Definitely get the dog to a vet asap. Just pointing out that adder bites are very rare and no need for panic if bitten.

The key thing is to remember not to panic. If the dog gets bitten, the nearest vets should be able to help. Remember, though, that adders use that venom to hunt. They won't want to waste it and very often, even if they do bite in defence, won't inject venom.

Yer adders and venomous snakes are much more likely to give a dry bite then waste venom on something much larger like a dog or person!