A dog nearly died after being bitten by an adder on its regular walk.
The venomous snake struck out at Angie Evan's pet Ollie as he walked in Tonyrefail, Wales, yesterday afternoon.
Angie said it was lucky the snake was only a baby as an adult bite would have likely killed Ollie.
Her friend Claire helped carry him to a car and they raced to the vets, contacting them on the way to make sure they had anti-venom, WalesOnline reports.
Ollie was given pain relief and put on a drip to make sure he stayed hydrated.
Angie said: "The vet said not to let him walk, but he is making very good progress on his recovery.
"He is still very sore and quite fragile.
"We have had so many kind messages of concern for Ollie and I am so thankful that people have been helping to raise awareness about how serious this can be."
Now she has made a public appeal for others to look out for the native reptiles which have recently come out of hibernation in an area popular with families.
She said: "Please be careful walking up the windmills in Tonyrefail from the Bog pub.
"My dog was bitten by an adder snake right by the main path. Please don't take a chance leaving your dog off their lead.
"This was a baby adder bite – if it had been an adult snake it would have been fatal.
"We normally do that work at least four times a week and it is an area that is very, very popular with dog walkers and children so I want [people] to be aware this has happened and to be careful."
There are three types of snake found in the UK but adders are the only venomous species.
The PDSA says adder bites tend to happen between February and October but are especially common between June and August and it is most common for a dog to be bitten on the face, neck, or lower leg.
Veterinary experts MediVets say snake bites for dogs should be treated as an "emergency" and a quick response and treatment are key.
If your dog is bitten by an adder they say you should:
- Carry your dog as this will help to prevent the venom from circulating further around their body
- Bathe the wound in cold water
- Keep your dog warm and as calm and still as possible to prevent the venom from spreading
Their advice says: "If you suspect that your dog has been bitten by an adder you should take them to your vet immediately.
"An untreated adder bite can result in a dog becoming dehydrated, having tremors as the venom spreads around their body and can progress to organ damage if the reaction is severe enough."
MediVets also says that the vet will likely treat the dog for shock and administer pain relief and antihistamine for the swelling.
They may also use anti-venom.
Adders are normally small grey/brown snakes with a distinctive V-shaped marking on their head and dark zigzag pattern down their back.
They are most common in long grass, woodland, moorland and by the coast in sand dunes and along coastal paths.
