Adder bite advice

We are fortunate enough to be surrounded by beautiful county side with endless walks for our dogs. These areas of rocky hillsides, moorland and woodland edges are common places for The European Adders to be found, as well as occasionally found on dry sand dunes and heaths. As it stands, the adder is the only venomous snake native to the UK and are protected by law in Great Britain. This means that it is illegal to intentionally kill or injure adders, or to trade in them. The adults adders are easy to identify as they have distinctive markings with a black or brown zigzag pattern along their back and a noticeable V-shaped marking on the back of their heads. At adult size adders can be up to 2 meters long. Adders usually only bite in self-defense when they are disturbed or stepped on by a dog.

This is the peak time to be seeing adders and adder bites, as their hibernation period began in October and ended in late April. With the warmer weather they can be seen basking in the sunshine. Urgent treatment will be needed if your dog has been bitten by an adder and it is imperative to check if your vets stock the anti-venom.

At Jurassic Vets we have made sure we have the anti-venom in stock at our practice - we won’t need to obtain it from a distant practice. This means we can offer your pet immediate treatment in a critical situation. Please contact us as soon as possible if you suspect your pet has had an Adder bite. We also run our own out of hours emergency service should this happen outside of our working hours.

Typically, after an Adder bite the first symptom is a swelling that can be dark in colour. Most bites occur on a dog’s legs or face. It may even be possible to see two small puncture wounds in the middle of the swelling. If the swelling is around the face it is important to be aware this could result in breathing difficulties. Your dog will also show signs of pain, may be vocal or may appear nervous. Other signs to look out for after adder bite can include pale gums, bruising, drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea, dehydration, restlessness, drowsiness, and lethargy.

Eventually, if left untreated, dogs may collapse, have blood clotting problems, tremors or convulsions - adder bites can sometimes be fatal.

Contact usimmediately if you you suspect your dog has been bitten by an adder