WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES. Adam Penn’s nine-year-old springer spaniel Willow had an open wound to her face after being bitten by a venomous adder while on a walk in a housing state in Northwich
A dog owner says his pet is “lucky to be alive” after being bitten by a venomous adder which caused horrific injuries and left him with a £2,500 vet bill.
Adam Penn’s nine-year-old springer spaniel Willow had a shocking open wound on her face and needed to have expensive medical treatment. He first noticed that Willow had a lack of appetite and some swelling behind her head, but assumed that she had been stung by a wasp. As her symptoms got worse and the lump turned into an open wound, he took her to the vets – where they discovered she had been bitten by a venomous adder.
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, as it was too late for her to be given anti-venom medication.
She is still on antibiotics and painkillers and she will need ultraviolet light treatment which will help the healing process and 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 nine-years-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 like 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. 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, 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.”
