Don’t waste time, get your pet to a vet.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A Bendigo veterinarian has called on pet owners to take care, after already treating a number of pets for snakebites during the spring.
Dr Susan Bibby has seen two cats and a dog definitely bitten by a snake, as well as several which may have been.
Dr Bibby sees two types of presentation most often.
Some pets have obvious clinical signs of a snakebite. They might have collapsed, be staggering, salivating or vomiting, or their pupils may be very wide.
Dr Bibby also sees many people who have come home to find a snake in their backyard with their pet.
In either case, Dr Bibby urged people to take their pet to the vet immediately.
“Get the pet to the vet straight away, even if they’re not showing signs of sickness there’s tests that we can do to help us determine if their pet’s been bitten or not,” Dr Bibby said.
“It’s really unusual to see bite marks. So people shouldn’t waste time looking for bite marks, they should just get their vet to a pet straight away.”
Dr Bibby sees bites from three main species, tiger, brown and red bellied black snakes.
RSPCA Victoria recommends pet owners make their backyards less appealing to snakes by keeping the grass cut low and the property clear of piles of rubbish or objects where snakes might like to hide.
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.