Cape Town – The Cape of Good Hope SPCA has actually advised family pet owners to be mindful when treking and walking their dogs, as snakes were still maximizing the last couple of days of the warmer weather condition, and feeding prior to hibernation.
The caution follows a dog passed away from a poisonous Cape cobra bite while being strolled off-lead in a domestic fynbos location just recently.
The SPCA said this was among a handful of recent occurrences of animals from throughout the peninsula that didn’t endure as there was simply no anti-venom available for them.
“South Africa receives its anti-venom supply from the South African Vaccine Producers (which fall under the National Health Laboratory Services – NHLS) and veterinary practices (including the SPCA), are not being supplied with anti-venom by the vaccine laboratory currently, as any available stock of the life-saving medicine is being kept for any cases of human snake bite,” they said.
Pet owners are advised not to let their animals roam out of sight while treking.
“You are urged to be cautious when hiking and walking dogs; stick to marked trails and pathways. Don’t let your dogs (or kids) wander out of sight and avoid allowing dogs to run off and explore areas of dense vegetation that could be a hiding place for a snake,” said the SPCA.
The Western Cape is home to 41 various types of snakes, of which just 8 can causing a bite that hurts, while 6 are thought about possibly deadly or hazardous to human beings or their animals, according to the SPCA.
“If your dog sustains a snake bite, or you suspect that it has, it is critical to get to get him/her to your nearest vet. Do not try and force-feed your dog charcoal or give it milk and avoid anti-inflammatories or anti-histamines (e.g Allergex tablets); all of these could make the situation a lot worse.
“Snake bites are different to bee stings. Some snake venom (e.g puff adder), is slow-acting and some bites will release no venom at all.
“If you encounter a snake on your property, the SPCA Wildlife Department staff will assist you in safely removing the animal off your property and releasing it back into nature, far from human disturbance,” it said.
The SPCA can be gotten in touch with on 0217004158/9 throughout workplace hours or on 0833261604 after hours.
