24/10/2017
Snake seasona already in Tassie! Some advice belos from Montrose Vet Clinic. Remember if you are travelling make sure you look up contact details for the local vets before you set off.
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Unfortunately it's snake season again! With the warmer weather snakes come out of hibernation and our inquisitive pets with strong hunting instincts can get themselves into trouble. Tasmania has three species of snakes - tiger, copperhead and white lipped snakes. All three are venomous, however the white lipped is less so.
The copperhead and tiger snake venom can cause coagulopathies (issues with red blood cells and clotting), kidney, heart, nerve and muscle damage.
Clinical signs of snake bite can occur within 1-24 hours of being bitten. In the first instance, animals may collapse or vomit after being bitten. The animal may appear to recover before the clinical signs gradually worsen. Dilated pupils are often an early sign followed by hindlimb weakness causing the animal to stagger. Eventually the weakness can progress to paralysis and has implications on respiration and breathing ability. Other signs can include drooling, trembling, bleeding, pale gum colour and depression.
What do you do if you think your pet has been bitten- keep calm! A calm owner means a calm pet! Treatments like icepacks, tourniquet, alcohol on the bite, bleeding the bite site, or sucking the wound do nothing except delay you seeking emergency veterinarian treatment. Carry your pet to car, and give us a call to let us know the situation and your estimated time of arrival. When you arrive- your pet will be immediately examined and if needed, intensive therapy is implemented. Anti-venom may be required to treat your pet. Ideally this is administered within the first 6 hours to be the most effective. Often more than one vial is required depending on the individual animal and the level of envenomation.
The prognosis of snake bite envenomation can range from extremely guarded to good depending on the speed of treatment and the amount of venom the animal received.
So remember
- Keep calm!
- Carry your pet to the car and keep them calm and still.
- Seek immediate veterinary care even if they appear to have recovered!
- All snakes in Tasmania are protected and killing them is illegal