![A picture of a brown snake. It is the season for the reptile in south-west Victoria. Picture file A picture of a brown snake. It is the season for the reptile in south-west Victoria. Picture file](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/154914734/5ecb0f2d-31d6-49fe-be91-eda8ebf4c184.jpg/r0_0_3361_1994_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A south-west veterinarian has reported the busiest snake bite season in her 22-year career with 10 dogs presenting to the clinic in four days.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Hamilton Vetcare's Dr Amy Button said 50 per cent of the dogs brought into the clinic between September 28 and October 1 did not survive.
"I think that was just the first decently warm weekend so when the snakes first come out they are grumpy and slow and are loaded with venom - so it's a bit of a perfect storm," she said.
"The ones that presented alert and awake did well but the ones that presented with clinical signs struggled - 50 per cent of them survived.
"All 10 were given the antivenom."
Dr Button said the most common snakes in the south-west were tiger and eastern browns, both of which are highly venomous.
She said when a dog was bitten by a snake they often exhibited a pre-paralytic event.
"They'll either vomit or collapse then they come good, so the ones (where the owner) rang me that had seen the snake and seen the bite and seen the paralytic event and got here within half an hour, I saved," Dr Button said.
"The other ones where they got better, then were brought in more than 30 minutes (after the bite) with dilated pupils, tremors or struggling to breathe, they really struggled."
IN OTHER LOCAL NEWS:
- $5m forte: Council turns caravan parks into year-round asset
- From arriving with 'no English at all' to sitting VCE exam
- Versatile footballer returns after season away, premiership
- Support worker calls for urgent overhaul of mental health system
- Dairy factory workers plan more strike action if talks fail
Dr Button said vets at the clinic had also treated five cats this spring for snake bites.
"We occasionally get cows we suspect have been bitten but a lot of the time we can't do much," she said.
Warrnambool Veterinary Clinic vet Jasmine Rokov said three dogs were brought in with snake bites on October 2, a fourth about a week later and a fifth on Friday, October 20, 2023.
She has treated one cat this month.
Dr Rokov said the number of pets brought into the clinic with snake bites was on par with previous years.
She said anyone who suspected their pet had been bitten by a snake should bring them in as soon as possible for a better outcome.
"If people see their dog with a snake, try to get it into the clinic ASAP even if they think it hasn't been bitten," she said.
"If they are concerned it has been bitten but it's not showing any signs we can run blood tests to help confirm it."
Dr Rokov said people should expect to see snakes across the region from October to April.
"People not letting their dogs off the lead in bush areas is ideal, not just for snake bites but the (fox and rabbit) baits," she said.
Port Fairy Pest Control snake catcher Neville Suter told The Standard the most common snakes seen in the Warrnambool area were tiger and copperheads.
He said the hotspots around the city were Merrivale and the wetlands areas.
Mr Suter said anyone who has spotted a snake in their backyard can contact him and a second catcher at the business 24-hours per day.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark https://www.standard.net.au/
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines and newsletters
- Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn
- Tap here to open our Google News page
- Join our Courts and Crime Facebook group and our dedicated Sport
- Facebook group
- Subscribe