Petey is a 4-year-old cat who occasionally has a short wander outside in the mornings to see the sights and go to the toilet.  One day last week after returning indoors, his owners noticed that he seemed a bit more lethargic than usual and not moving normally.  After bringing him into us at Mira Mar Vets, blood tests revealed that Petey had been bitten by a snake!

Blood testing of pets where there is suspicion of a snake bite can show changes in blood clotting and muscle enzymes that are affected by the snake venom, sometimes before the pet is showing classic signs of a snake bite.

Petey’s owners recalled that council workers had been slashing some long grass next to their property, so it was likely that a tiger snake was disturbed in the process, right into Petey’s morning wander!

The happy ending to this story is that Petey received a dose of antivenom and fluids, spent a night in hospital flushing the venom out of his system, and went home the next day as good as new, and hopefully with a new distrust of snakes!

If you have any suspicion that your pet may have had a tangle with a snake, getting them to a vet clinic ASAP is the best way for us to hopefully intervene before they become too sick.  Even better, give us a call as you are on your way so that we can be prepared for your arrival!