This dog was attacked by giant venomous snake while on a walk: 'His neck was swelling up like a ball'

This dog owner didn’t know much about the adder, the UK's only venomous snake, until it nearly killed her pooch. She rushed her beloved cocker spaniel, Harry, to the vet after its face started to swell 'like a ball', following a walk and what looked like a trouble-free encounter with a snake. Luckily, the dog owner was just on time to save her pet.

A whopping £2300 ($2800) treatment included the anti-venom injection and two days stay at the vet.

'I’ve never seen a snake that big before in real life'

Dog owner Catherine Thomas went with her husband and their two pooches for one of their regular walks around the reservoir. The was alwasy full of people, and she has never heard about snakes living there.

They were about to leave when Harry, their one-year-old cocker spaniel, dashed off to a tree.

Catherine said:

He was just stood looking at the tree. I went over to check on him and saw this massive snake wrapped around the tree.

Her husband, who kept taking pictures of the reptile, commented:

God, I've never seen a snake that big before in real life.

Catherine rushed him to walk back to the car, worried the snake could bite Harry. They left thinking they managed to get away trouble-free.

'His neck was swelling up like a ball'

The couple grew suspicious when they saw their dog ‘dead lethargic’ and falling asleep, which was very unlike him, Mirror reports.

Once they got home, the dog owner saw that the side of Harry’s face was swollen.

Catherine said:

His neck was swelling up like a ball, it was all squidgy, it was horrible. With it being on his face and neck, it could have blocked his airways.

The pet was rushed to an emergency vet, where he was given antivenom treatment and had to stay on a drip for two days.

The vet told Catherine they had had to use anti-venom on another dog only the day before, and that if Harry had been old or very young, he could have died in the attack.

According to the Daily Star, the number of snake bites on dogs has surged recently as a result of the heatwave.

How to keep your pet safe from a snake bite?

ASPCA recommends keeping your dog on a leash and monitoring them while you’re out on a walk. This will prevent your pooch from sticking their face into heavy brush and their nose into rock crevices where snakes may be lurking. It’s also safer to opt for well-worn trails where you see what’s ahead.

If your pet is bitten by a venomous snake, do not waste time performing first aid. Carry your dog to reduce the spread of venom throughout the body. Get them to a vet as soon as possible as they’ll administer both the pain medication and the available antivenom.

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