A dog suffered horrific injuries when it was bitten by a venomous adder while out on a walk through a housing estate.
Owner Adam Penn's nine-year-old Springer Spaniel Willow was left with a shocking open wound on her face, leaving Adam with a £2,500 vet bill.
Adam first noticed Willow had swelling behind her head and a lack of appetite. Initially he believed she had been stung by a wasp.
Her symptoms got worse and the lump became an open wound. Adam took her to the vets where they discovered Willow had been bitten by a venomous adder.
Adders are the only venomous snake in Britain and while their venom is of little danger to humans, a bite can prove fatal for dogs.
Adam, a dad-of-two, said: ‘I was really shocked.
‘She's unlucky but she's lucky to be alive. If it was a smaller dog, then it could have been fatal.'
Willow was placed on a drip and given antibiotics because it was too late for her to be given anti-venom medication.
Adam Penn and his Springer Spaniel Willow, who is now recovering after being bitten by the adder
Adam said his beloved pet is ‘lucky to be alive' after undergoing medical treatment
Adders are the only posionous snake native to the UK and their bites can prove fatal for dogs
She is still on antibiotics and painkillers and she will need ultraviolet light treatment which will help the healing process. So far, the vets have charged Adam £2,500.
Adam, of Northwich, Cheshire, said: ‘It was really touch and go because her blood pressure had dropped.
‘She's nineyears old but she's a young nine so before this had happened, I thought we might have another six or seven years with her.
‘I didn't question saving her – I asked the vets to do what he could do with her.
‘When the anaesthetic had worn off, she started to recover and she's just been a fighter.'
Adders normally live in open habitats such as heathland, moorland, woodland edges and coastal areas so Adam, a manager of a pub, was shocked that Willow was bitten while walking on a housing estate.
He said: ‘I live on a normal housing estate.
‘But around six or seven years ago, I saw an adder – we have a river near us so that's where they are expected to be.
Adam and Willow pictured before she was bitten by the snake on her walk
Adam first noticed Willow had swelling behind her head and a lack of appetite
‘We were in the middle of the houses so to find out that it's an adder, was scary.
‘My whole family also weren't aware that adders could be in the middle of a housing estate.'
According to the Pet Health Club, every dog can react differently to an adder bite but some symptoms could be having two small puncture wounds, drooling, bruising, swelling and an increased heart rate.
Adam, who is originally from Warrington, Cheshire, now wants other animal owners to look out for the symptoms and signs that their pet has been attacked by an adder.
He said: ‘Dogs can get bitten by adders on their neck or on their nose or on their bellies when they are rooting through bushes.
‘You need to realise when your pet isn't normal and then investigate it.'
Last month, a Jack Russell was killed after being bitten by the venomous snake in Thetford Forest, Suffolk.
The family dog, Donnie, was out being walked by Logan Mathers, 17, when an adder shot out and bit the two-year-old Jack Russell on the face.
The family dog, Donnie, was out being walked by Logan Mathers, 17, last week on Wednesday in Thetford Forest, Suffolk
Sadly, the beloved family pet died shortly after being bitten by the snake
Donnie was taken straight to a vet for treatment while slipping in and out of consciousness.
Logan's 19 year-old-sister, Molly, rushed to meet her brother who was left ‘traumatised', and little Donnie's health deteriorated despite being given anti-venom medication and antibiotics.
Sadly, the beloved family pet died in the early hours of Saturday morning, mother Ali said.
She said: ‘The whole family went over on Saturday morning to say goodbye to our beautiful boy.
‘He really was so full of life.
‘We are absolutely heartbroken and just can't believe it. We want to stop another dog being hurt.'
The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) advise that swelling can cause serious problems to dogs if bitten on the face or neck – and the venom can cause severe illness and death.
