Callie is a beautiful Labrador Retriever who deserves the Hollybank’s ‘Brave Pet’ recognition for her recent incident with an Adder, the UK’s only venomous snake.

Callie was enjoying her holidays in Wales, having a great time running about in the countryside. However, one afternoon Callie came back to her owner very lame on her left forelimb and was brought straight into Hollybank. On clinical examination, the top of Callie’s left paw was swollen, and her left shoulder was extremely sore and sensitive. There were no immediate signs of puncture wounds or embedded foreign bodies and without an obvious fracture, it was decided to take Callie home with rest and pain relief.

However, within four hours, Callie’s lovely parents brought her back in as they were concerned, she had deteriorated. On repeat examination, Callie’s entire left forelimb was swollen and extremely painful. A strong pain relief was administered, and X-rays were taken to completely exclude fractures. The fur was also now clipped away to see if there were any obvious bites/wounds which, whilst inconclusive did highlight some unusual reddening to the skin. This unusual presentation was discussed with the owner and a plan of monitoring in hospital with pain relief, anti-histamines and anti-sickness medications was begun.  The next morning though, whilst Callie was more comfortable in herself, her left limb remained swollen and red, and a very small puncture wound was now becoming evident on top of the swollen paw.

With these clinical signs, the possibility of an adder bite was now at the top of our differential diagnosis list. Adder bites can also affect patients platelet counts so bloods were taken to see if this further supported our suspicions. We also phoned the veterinary poison information service (VPIS) which delivers 24/7 specialist advice on poisoning cases, to discuss the likelihood of an adder bite. As suspected, Callie had all the classic signs, namely: progressive swelling of the affected limb, low platelets (affecting the clotting ability of the blood), lameness and other systemic signs such as vomiting, high heart and respiratory rate and hyperthermia.

Fluid therapy, anti-histamines and pain relief were continued, however we decided to start an anti-venom medication for Callie. The objective of the anti-venom is to try to reduce the spread of the venom further up the limb or body in the hope to shorten the patient’s illness and therefore time in the hospital. This medication is stocked in specific locations throughout the country (for emergency use) so we had to have Callie’s anti-venom couriered from Stoke!

After the anti-venom and continued supportive care, Callie became much happier and was eating and drinking well. The swelling would take time to fully resolve but as it was starting to subside we decided Callie could continue her recovery in the comfort of her own home and with her owners, who were dearly missing her!

We are over the moon to see Callie looking back to her normal happy self! Callie 1 – Snake 0

Further information to help your pet avoid an adder bite and signs to look out for:

• Appearance: Adders are around 60cm long and vary in colour from pale grey to dark brown with a black/brown zig-zag pattern on its back.
• Where are adders commonly found: Adders are commonly found in summer on sandy heaths/dunes, rocky hillsides, moorlands and woodland edges.
• Signs to look out for: progressive swelling and pain around the bite site, commonly leg, head or neck. Additionally, lameness, panting and vomiting can be noted.
• Always seek veterinary care immediately if you suspect your pet has been bitten by a snake or other venomous creature.

For further information can be found at VPIS.