The warmer weather being experienced in South Africa means the end of snakes’ period of hibernation, increasing the chances of encountering a snake on your daily walk or weekend hike…or even at home.
While there are over 160 snake species in South Africa, most of them are not dangerous to animals or humans. Depending on the type of snake, a bite may be deadly, dangerous, uncomfortable, or completely harmless.
“Obviously my best advice to a pet owner is to avoid being bitten by a snake!” says Dr Rouxlene Sheridan, a veterinarian at TAH Moorreesburg.
How to prevent your pet from getting bitten by a snake:
If you are in a known snake habitat, keep your dog on a lead to prevent them from wandering off, or pursuing high-risk activities like sniffing in undergrowth, bouncing through patches of long grass, digging in holes, or excavating under logs.
If your dog is particularly curious or pawing at something, call or pull them away. Rather be safe than sorry!
Train your dog so that it knows when to obey you in unfamiliar situations that may startle or frighten him, like a possible snake encounter.
Do not allow your dog to investigate a snake that appears to be dead, as many snakes fake death.
Stay on marked trails and paths where it’s easier to spot snakes.
Despite efforts to avoid an encounter with a snake, you and your beloved pet might unexpectedly get confronted with one.
“Most dogs don’t understand that snakes can be deadly and will attack them or, at the very least, try to sniff it or poke their nose down its hole. A snake can perceive this action as threatening and strike defensively. Cats are seldom bitten as they have an innate understanding of the danger,” adds Dr Sheridan.
“A snake encounter could be as terrifying for you as it is for your dog. Try to remain calm and non-confrontational and leave the snake alone – give the snake some room and let it move off in its own time,” advises Dr Sheridan.
Other tips on how to handle snake encounters include:
Remove children and pets from the snake’s proximity and call your local snake remover when you encounter a snake on your property. Unless you have experience, do not try and handle the snake yourself, but keep a close eye on its location.
Do not try to kill the snake or allow your dog to attempt this, as you will put yourself and your dog at serious risk.
If you spot a snake while walking in nature, stop moving immediately. If you and your dog are standing still, it won’t perceive you as a threat and will possibly glide away. Back away from the snake slowly, giving it an escape route.
What happens if a venomous snake bites your pet?
If your dog has not been lucky enough to escape a bite from a venomous snake, emergency treatment is crucial for survival.
“When a snake bites an animal, it injects venom with its fangs into the tissue below the skin. The venom is rapidly absorbed from the site of the bite and carried by the lymphatic system into the animal’s circulation. Snake venom carries a large range of toxins that can damage tissues and impair many of the body’s vital functions, attack the nervous system, or interfere with the body’s clotting mechanisms,” explains Dr Sheridan.
Snakes are divided into three groups, due to the effect that the venom has on the victim:
Cytotoxic, e.g. Puff Adder. Their bite causes intense pain, massive swelling, and possible death through hypovolaemic shock.
Neurotoxic, g. Cape Cobra. The venom causes death through respiratory failure (it paralyses the prey so that it cannot breathe).
Haemotoxic,g. Boomslang. Their venom causes the disruption of clotting factors in the blood, and leads to death through a spontaneous haemorrhage.
While the signs of envenomation (when venom is injected) may not be immediately apparent, depending on the type of snakebite and the amount of venom injected, your dog could die within 30 minutes to two hours. If you suspect that your pet has been bitten by a snake, you should immobilise your pet and try to keep them as quiet as possible. It is vital that you take your pet to a veterinarian as quickly as possible. The sooner your pet is treated, the better their chances of survival.
Several factors will determine what sort of reaction your pet has to a snake:
The type of snake (some species of snake are more venomous than others).
The amount of venom injected (depends on the size and maturity of the snake).
Usually the closer the bite is to the heart the quicker the venom will be absorbed into the pet’s system and distributed around the body.
Dogs and cats are most often bitten around the head and limbs but it is not always possible to find the bite mark.
Warning signs of a venomous snake bite include:
1. Drooling
2. Rapid or shallow breathing
3. Dilated pupils
4. Pale gums
5. Vomiting
6. Incontinence
7. Shaking
8. Weakness
9. Collapse
WHEN YOUR PET HAS BEEN BITTEN:
“If your pet is ever bitten by a snake, he or she needs to get to a veterinarian urgently,” emphasises Dr Sheridan. “The sooner we start treatment, the better chance we have of success.
“Treatment usually includes a thorough examination to assess the clinical signs they are showing and to establish the best course of action. Further diagnostic tests may be required to determine if your pet actually has been bitten – it is always better if the snake can be identified.
“Veterinary treatment varies with each individual case, how severe the symptoms are, and how rapidly the symptoms progress. It usually consists of intravenous fluids and the administration of antivenom to neutralise the snake venom in the pet’s body. Some patients require multiple vials of antivenom,” explains Dr Sheridan.
Other supportive care may also be required, including oxygen supplementation and even breathing for the pet if they are not breathing well on their own. This needs to continue until the circulating antivenom has been neutralised and any bound venom has worn off. In South Africa, we have polyvalent antivenom (against Puff Adders, Gaboon Adders, Cobras, and Mambas) and monovalent antivenom (against Boomslang) in order to treat snake bites.
Due to the high cost, not all veterinary practices stock antivenom. Fortunately, TAH Moorreesburg, the Cape Animal Medical Centre, and the 24-hour TAH Bellville all stock it.
“In the case of a Cape Cobra bite, we will stabilise the patient with medicine and antivenom and then send him to our Bellville branch, to be put on a ventilator. TAH Bellville is one of only 2 veterinary practices in the Western Cape with access to a ventilator as well as a vet on the premises 24/7, giving your pet the best possible chance of survival,” adds Dr Sheridan.
OTHER FACTORS THAT CAN HELP IN SAVIN A DOG’S LIFE THAT HAS BEEN BITTEN BY A VENOMOUS SNAKE.
Try to identify the snake by taking note of its size, head shape, colour, and patterns. If possible, take a photo or video clip of the snake, but do not endanger your life to do so. The veterinarian needs as much information about the snake as possible to treat the victim accordingly.
1. Protect yourself and your dog from further harm. This includes you being bitten by your anxious, scared dog.
2. Look for fang marks and wrap a clean bandage around the affected limb snugly (but not too tight). This will reduce the amount of venom from entering the bloodstream.
3. Try and keep the affected area lower than the heart.
4. Keep your dog calm because the adrenalin rushing through their veins will speed up their metabolism, which in turn causes the venom to spread faster.
5. Familiarise yourself with what emergency measures to take in the event of a snakebite and where your nearest vets are in case of an emergency
6. Ignore backwoods dogma about first aid for snakebites (such as applying tourniquets and cutting wounds to suck out the poison) as these interventions have limited benefit, if any.
7. Most importantly: get to the nearest vet as soon as possible.
WHAT NOT TO DO IN THE EVENT OF A SNAKE BITE:
1. Do not try and suck the poison out
2. Do not wash the wound
3. Do not use a tourniquet
4. Do not waste time by looking for the snake and trying to kill it to bring it along to the vet.
Approximately 80% of pets survive a snake bite if treated quickly. The survival rate is much lower for pets that are left untreated, and death can occur. Recovery from a snake bite usually takes 24 to 48 hours if the pet receives prompt veterinary attention and the snake bite is not severe. However, some pets take substantially longer to make a full recovery due to tissue damage to internal organs and will require intensive and prolonged nursing care.
IMPORTANT NUMBERS IN THE EVENT OF A SNAKE BITE TO YOUR DOG:
AFRICAN SNAKE BITE INSTITUTE:
082 494 2039
TAH BELLVILLE:
021 91 911 91
TAH KENILWORTH (Cape Animal Medical Centre):
021 674 0034
A LIST OF SNAKE REMOVERS:
https://www.pethealthcare.co.za/PetFriendly/Articles/reptile-rescuers-list-south-africa
Article Credit: https://tah.co.za/2020/10/09/dog-vs-snake-a-confrontation-pet-owners-want-to-avoid/