A WOMAN has told how she was charged £1,800 in vet bills after her puppy was bitten on the face by an ADDER.
Hollie Serginson had been walking her 16-week-old labrador cocker spaniel cross in Birk Brow, North Yorkshire when he quickly became floppy and unresponsive and his face started to swell.
He was rushed to an emergency vet in Stockton, a 45-minute journey during which his owners feared they were going to lose him.
The vet service injected the pup with anti-venom and pain relief and kept him on a drip overnight.
Hollie, from Lingdale, had a £1.8k vet bill for his treatment – and is now urging other dog walkers to be careful when they are out on the moors.
She said: "It was a scary situation I wouldn't ever want someone else to be in," said Hollie, a teaching assistant.
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"My dad was with him and saw the snake next to Rocco hissing and slithering into the bushes angrily, Rocco jumped when bitten but didn't cry or whimper.
“Rocco's face began to swell immediately, he became floppy and unresponsive rapidly – dad had to drive from the moors to Stockton vets as that was the only out-of-hours one open. During the 45-minute drive my dad thought he was going to lose him as he was that unwell.
Steps to prevent your dog being bitten
There are few steps you can take to help prevent your dog being bitten by an adder," advises the PDSA.
These include: avoiding areas well known for adders in the summer months (especially June-Aug) or when in those areas, keep your dog on a path and on a lead.
If you are holiday somewhere you aren’t familiar with, do some research to find out if there are any adder ‘hot-spots’ before walking your dog.
Remember, adders are most commonly found in long grass, woodland, moorland, and along the coast (sand dunes/coastal paths).
If your dog has been bitten, the PDSA's first aid guidance advises pet owners to stay calm, try and remember what the snake looks like but don't try to find it or get close to it, keep your dog as still as possible to prevent venom spreading around their body and leave the bite alone – don't apply a bandage or tourniquet.
You should call your vet to let them know you are on your way and carry your dog to your car for the journey.
"Rocco was bit on the face and remained in the vets overnight on drips and had an antivenom injection amongst a cocktail of pain relief. It was petrifying and we want to raise awareness for it. Rocco will have been curious of the snake in the middle of the path walkway."
"Please please be careful when walking your little four-legged friends over the moors at this time of year."
Meanwhile ANOTHER dog was also bitten by the same type of snake in the Swansea woods.
Whilst being walked on a lead Abby, a cross-breed dog, was bitten by an adder hidden away amongst grass.
Abby needed two injections to save her life from the venomous bite, leaving the family devastated to nearly lose their pet.
Her owner, Linda, was also concerned to discover the anti-venom injection required was not in widespread supply across Wales, when she took Abby to a vets in Llanelli, but that it was thankfully sourced from another practice in Carmarthen. The bill for treatment came to just short of £1,700.
The adder is the UK's only venomous snake. Adders hibernate from October but usually emerge around March, during the first warm days of the year.
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They can be found across the country and are greyish in colour with a distinct zig-zag pattern down their backs, males tend to be more silvery-grey in colour whilst females are more light or reddish-brown.
Bites can make a dog very ill, if the venom stays in the tissues around the bite it will cause pain and swelling but if it spreads further and gets into the bloodstream, it can cause more serious problems including damage to a dog's liver, kidneys, heart and nervous system.
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