Snakes

There has been an increase in snake bites on dogs in the last few weeks! Please be careful when you walk your dog in grassy areas or areas with a lot of undergrowth.

Generally snakes will slide away when they hear a dog crashing towards them, but if one is trodden on or near, it will strike in self-defence. And tbh, there's not much we as dog owners can do to prevent it as it happens so quickly, unless we prevent our dogs from running in long grass etc at all.

A year or so ago I was at the vet's and a dog was there who had been bitten by a snake. His paw was very swollen but he looked happy enough in himself. Admittedly he was a very big dog.

Prevention isn't easy, but it's very important to know what to do/how to react if your dog does get bitten.

I can't remember who it was, but somebody's dog (know them via FB) was bitten by an adder a couple of weeks ago. Poor thing's face swelled up like a balloon!

My dogs (and cats) are pretty scared of anything snake looking. I had a huge puffadder in the yard at my previous house and they were all petrified.

Shisa wrote: I had a huge puffadder in the yard at my previous house and they were all petrified.

A VERY sensible reaction!

I'd be scared, as well! I love snakes, but I think I remember watching a documentary, which said the puff adder is Africa's most dangerous snake. Or am I thinking of another one? This is the one with the looooong, sharp fangs, isn't it?