Wildlife UK Forum - Discuss the UK countryside and wildlife

Came across this news article:

A DOG walker ended up in hospital after being bitten by a snake in Huddersfield.

And unlucky Sue Rooker did not even know the snake had struck until she had got home and her foot began to swell.

Sue, 63, of Scapegoat Hill, was walking her seven-year-old pet German Shepherd, Toby, across the village’s common heathland close to Scapegoat Hill Junior and Infant School when she was bitten right through her wellington boot at around 8am on Friday.

After she returned home her foot became more and more painful until she couldn’t even put it on the ground.

The wellington may have taken some of the venom or else Sue – who has angina which is narrowing of her heart arteries – could have ended up even more ill.

Rest of story here:

http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-wes...-20639300/

That's very interesting, especially that she didn't even realise she'd been bitten! Adder bites (I'm assuming it was an adder and not an escapee) can be quite painful, and dangerous for very young and older people. Glad she was ok though, lets hope there isn't an overreaction to this in Huddersfield!

Yes it must have been a particuarly hard bite to get through the wellington as well.And lucky the dog wasn't bitten either!
If the dog had been bitten what would have been the outcome? I'm never too sure how serious British snake bites are.

The dog may well have died, especially as the lady was unsure what had happened. We normally have a dog death from adder bite every few years down here. Sometimes it is a small dog that has gone down a rabbit hole. Some local vets do carry the antivenin but it is a case of knowing what has happened and seeking treatment.

People also get bitten and sometimes hospitalised. There is some evidence that the poison can bio-accumulate and repeated bites make you progressively worse, while others claim to be immune to the venom. Either way there hasn't a death in humans for quite a few years whereas I believe that insect bites and stings cause several deaths each year.

I got bitten by an adder once all that happened was it was like a really painfull wasp sting me hand turned a little bit puple swelled up then went down and was a tad saw to say the least maybe i was/ am lucky

That is fascinating about the possibility that the poison can accumulate over time.

Kingfisher