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SNAKE BITES AND INSECT STINGS TO DOGS

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Admin under Dog Health

 

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU MUST ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR VET
BEFORE GIVING ANY MEDICATION TO YOUR DOGS

 

 

During spring and early summer it is the time of year when snakes are drowsily sun-bathing and so more likely to bite an approaching dog.  It is also the season when we are seeing more wasps and bees, so I have put together some notes on what medication can be used in the case of an emergency, particularly where snake bites to dogs are involved.

Medication

Piriton is the only over-the-counter antihistamine which might be suitable for your dog but please note that these notes are for guidance only and you must check with your vet whether your dog is able to have Piriton.

As with all medication, Piriton has side effects and may have adverse effects on the health of your dog, particularly if your dog already has a medical condition and/or when a dog is already on other medication.

CHECK WITH YOUR VET NOW SO THAT IN AN EMERGENCY
YOU CAN BE SURE YOU ARE ABLE TO GIVE PIRITON

IF YOUR DOG’S HEALTH CHANGES, YOU WILL NEED TO CHECK AGAIN WITH YOUR VET

AS ALWAYS, READ THE INFORMATION ENCLOSED WITH ANY MEDICATION.

YOU MUST NOT USE ANY OTHER TYPE OF ANTIHISTAMINE ON A DOG.

The usual dose recommended by a vet is:

  • 4mg for a small dog (usually one tablet)
  • 8mg for a larger dog (usually two tablets)

HOWEVER, IF YOU HAVE A SMALL OR ‘TOY’ BREED, OR A SMALL PUPPY OF ANY BREED THEN YOU SHOULD CHECK WITH YOUR VET WHAT REDUCED DOSAGE SHOULD BE USED

First Aid Advice  (But always seek veterinary advice as soon as possible)

Please note that this advice is First Aid for emergency only but you must still check with your vet whether your dog needs further treatment, particularly if he has had a sting to the head or neck area and/or has a swelling or has been bitten by a snake.

If your dog has been bitten by a snake you must take your dog to the vet immediately even if you give Piriton as the vet will usually give further treatment, such as steroid injections.

There is always a risk that even after having an antihistamine a dog may go into shock (anaphylactic shock) with either a snake bite, or wasp or bee sting – so you must consult your vet.

At the end of this blog are notes regarding dealing with snake bites, which were kindly given to me by another trainer in Suffolk (Margot Brothwell), which are useful reading as Margot has had several of her dogs bitten by snakes so has first-hand experience.

Wasps and Bee stings

In general, as for human treatment, if there is a sting left in the dog then remove with a flat object, such as a credit card (do not use tweezers or your fingers or you may push the venom deeper into your dog’s skin).

Then wash the area as follows (assuming your dog has no skin problems which may be irritated by the following):

  • Wash bee stings with a solution of Bicarbonate of Soda and water.
  • Wash wasp stings with vinegar.

There is some controversy over whether the washing of the area actually relieves pain as the sting will have been injected more deeply into the area than the washing may reach, but it may help.

Watch your dog carefully to ensure that there is no further adverse reactions which will require immediate veterinary treatment – as stated above, these notes are for emergency First Aid treatment but a vet’s advice must always be sought.

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Snake Bites (article by Margot Brothwell, Suffolk)

The purpose of this article is to help owners avoid their dogs being bitten by snakes and to provide some guidance on what to do if a dog does get bitten.

Identification:  Most adders are distinctly marked with a dark zigzag running down the length of the spine and an inverted ‘V’ shape on the neck.  Males are generally white or pale grey with a black zigzag.  Females are pale brown with a darker zigzag.  Some adders can be entirely black and can be mistaken for other species.

The adder is the only venomous snake native to Britain.  Adders have the most highly developed venom injecting mechanism of all snakes but are not aggressive animals.  They will only use their venom as a last means of defence, usually if caught or trodden on.  In humans, the worst effects, with proper treatment, are usually just nausea and drowsiness and severe swelling and bruising in the area of the bite, with death being very rare.

However, adder bites can have more serious consequences for dogs.  The larger breeds of dogs will cope better than the smaller ones.   I know of two dogs in Suffolk which did not survive, one a pug and the other a small sprocker.  The pug did not survive long enough to be carried back to the car and the sprocker’s owner didn’t realise the dog had been bitten and veterinary assistance came too late.  I know of several larger dogs (Huskies and GSDs) which have been bitten and with prompt veterinary attention have made full and quick recoveries.  The danger for larger dogs is if they are unfortunate to be ‘reactors’ and go into anaphylactic shock – just as some people react badly to wasp and bee stings.

I always carry antihistamine [Piriton] with me.  If one of my dogs were to be bitten I would give a tablet immediately and then get veterinary assistance as quickly as possible.  My vet practice treats adder bites by giving an injection of steroid to combat the swelling and advises a course of antihistamine over the following three days.  They do not stock or administer anti-venom as they have found dogs can react to this badly.

I have had three of my dogs bitten by adders and have followed the above procedure through to a successful outcome.  If you are a fair distance from your vehicle and the dog is light enough, I have been told that it may be a good idea to carry your dog, but in any case you should put on a lead and walk steadily.

Dogs are more likely to come across adders in the spring or early summer when the snakes have recently emerged from hibernation and will lie out in open paths and tracks to bathe in the sunshine.  Before they are fully warmed up they are very slow to move away when they feel the vibration of you and your dog approaching.  Dogs spot them and are curious and then go to sniff them.   The adder is not warm enough to be ‘up to speed’ and to disappear and so sees the dog’s approach as a threat and strikes, which is why so many dogs are bitten in the muzzle area.

A copy of this article also appeared in The Canine Behaviour & Training Society’s newsletter summer 2016 (cbts-newsletter-final ).

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Further note:

Follow this link to find out more about adders:  http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/adder

© Sally Bartlett
Co-operative Canines Dog Training and Behaviour