This summer, Kaily went to the Ginkelse Heide nature reserve in the Netherlands with a friend and her oldest male dog. She had planned on letting her dog Stitch play there, but things didn’t turn out the way she expected...
“It was also the first time for my vet”
Kaily shared her story with the public in order to warn other dog owners about the so-called viper bite (Vipera berus), which little is known. It is the bite of an adder - more precisely the only venomous snake in the UK- which is not to be trifled with.
Even the veterinarians often do not know: "That was the first time for my vet" , wrote Kaily on Facebook and would therefore like to warn everyone and report on the symptoms.
The symptoms
Within a few minutes, Stitch no longer reacted to his owner’s voice, became very sluggish, almost comatose and then fainted. His heartbeat and temperature rose rapidly to 40.9 degrees. He also produced a lot of saliva and panted heavily.
Stitch's visit to the vet took a long time because the stress and panic overwhelmed the poor pooch. The vet then put him under general anesthesia as it was best for his health at this point.
Fortunately, Stitch is doing a lot better now. We thank Kaily for sharing her experience on Facebook so that we can pass it on to you and be forewarned.
What should you do in case your dog was bitten by a snake
If your four legged friend shows any of the above symptoms during or after a walk in the woods, you should look for a bite wound immediately and also see a veterinarian.
Also, make sure that your dog stays calm so that the blood circulation does not increase, and remember the time you noticed the symptoms. This could be the time your dog was bitten, which is important information for the veterinarian.
