A dog is to have his leg amputated after being bitten by a venomous snake in Perthshire.
Owner Lucy Gordon from Auchterarder was walking her Yorkshire terrier, Junior, along the banks of the River Tummel near Loch Faskally in Pitlochry on Thursday.
At the time, Junior – one of three dogs Lucy owns – didn’t show any signs of injury and it wasn’t until the evening she noticed he was in discomfort.
By Saturday, the eight-year-old dog’s injuries had progressed to show blistering and a large puncture wound.
Lucy decided to take him to the vet where he was referred to the Edinburgh veterinary school to be administered anti-venom.
Lucy said: “When I was told the vet she suspected it could be a snake bite I was totally shocked.
“She said it wasn’t something that is seen regularly and the only reason she suspected it was a snake was from working at the same veterinary school herself.”
Since Saturday, Junior has been in critical condition in ICU at the Edinburgh veterinary school.
Life-saving leg amputation surgery
The Yorkshire terrier will be transferred to Aberdeen in the coming days for life-saving surgery, where he will have to have his leg amputated.
Lucy said: “This is not the outcome we were hoping for however the vet has advised the tissue damage is beyond repair and they are still concerned about the risk of infection, blood poisoning and organ failure.
“They believe if we don’t act now to remove the leg he doesn’t stand a chance.
“We all continue to remain hopeful that he will keep fighting and that this is the first step on very long path to recovery.”
Warning to dog owners over poisonous snakes
The Auchterarder resident said she wasn’t aware of the dangers of snakes in her area and wanted to warn other to be wary when walking their dogs.
Adders are the only venomous reptile breed in Scotland and are usually known to be timid creatures who don’t bite unless aggravated.
Dogs are more likely to be bitten by adders between April and July, during mating season, and are commonly found in woodland areas.
Lucy said: “I want to make fellow dog owners aware of the danger to their pets.
“Junior showed no indication that he had been bitten but if you suspect this has happened to your pet then timing is everything – there is an anti-venom, however there’s such a short time frame for vets to be able to administer the drug.”
£2,000 raised for Junior’s treatment
To help pay for Junior’s treatment, Lucy launched a crowdfunder which has now raised over £2,000.
This will cover the initial treatment deposit of £2,000 but it is estimated it will cost more than £4,000 overall.
Lucy said: “I know money shouldn’t be at the forefront of my mind at the moment but I felt so helpless not being able to do anything for my boy and it gave me something to focus on.
“I have never set up a fundraiser before but I have donated to many and thought it was worth reaching out to people and anything we raised would be amazing.
“I have been completely overwhelmed with the love, support and generosity of friends, family, people from the local community and fellow dog lovers.”
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