5/9/11

Media Release

The first pet this year has been treated for snakebite and the vets at Canobolas Pet Hospital say it is a month earlier than previous years. Last year’s bumper season has not only led to a rise in rodent numbers but as a consequence snake numbers have also boomed. The unseasonally warm weather in the past week the seems to have brought the venomous reptiles out. Dr Geoff Freeth of Canobolas Pet Hospital said, “In this case we were lucky because the snake didn’t actually inject any venom but others wont be so lucky.”

“Family pets tend to love to hunt and a snake bailed up by a pet will often see attack as the best form of defence,” said Dr Freeth.  Copperhead, Red Belly Black and Brown snakes are the snakes in the area. Many bites are inflicted without evidence of a bite wound with owners not aware of anything untoward until their pet starts to show signs of envenomation.

Cats are the most common pet presented to veterinary clinics for snakebite. The severity and speed on onset of the symptoms depends on how many times the animals has been bitten, the location of the bites on the animal and the amount of venom injected.

Dr Freeth says that diagnosing snakebite can be difficult as each species has its own special blend of toxins. Some, like Black snakes, affect the blood cells more than others while the brown snake causes paralysis. Even working out whether the animal has been bitten by a snake can be difficult. A high index of suspicion at this time of the year and the symptoms typical of snake bite assisting vets to diagnose an envenomation. Snake bite detection kits are now available and can confirm the bite as well as determining what kind of snake was responsible and hence the correct antivenom to use.

If you suspect your pet has been bitten by a snake the best thing to do is to get it to a vet as soon as possible. Killing or catching the snake is unnecessary as the detection kits can identify what kind of snake it is. “Not only is it illegal but most people bitten by snakes are bitten in the process of attempting to kill them,“ said Dr Freeth.