Hunting Dogs: Although less common than one might think, encounters between poisonous vipers and dogs can prove lethal for the latter. In the event of a bite, the important thing is not to lose your head and run to your vet.
This is a less frequent risk than expected, yet the bite of the viper is a particularly dangerous situation for our dog, which if neglected can lead to the death of a dear four-legged friend. Protected as being particularly rare, in Italy there are 8 species of vipers, but only two are poisonous: we are talking about the common viper and the adder that can be encountered especially in the Alpine and pre-Alpine areas.
Recognize the poisonous viper:
Meeting a viper is never pleasant, but it could be useful to know how to recognize the poisonous ones from the harmless ones, moreover the most common ones. Active mainly during the months from February to October, generally the non-poisonous vipers can reach up to two meters in length, have long and tapered tails, round pupils and rather large scales on the head.
Different the conformation of the rather small poisonous vipers (they reach a maximum of 50 - 60 cm), they have a stubby tail, a vertical slit pupil and small scales on the head.
They love to hide in sunny and protected places: you can meet them for example in wooden piles or in dry stone walls but they prefer to hide during days that are too humid and rainy or too hot and dry.
Symptoms:
The bite of a poisonous viper and the intake of its venom has the main effect of destroying the red blood cells of the victim: this is what causes the worrying bleeding that follows the bite. Given the drama of the effects that a viper bite can have on any dog, whether it be hunting or companion, the advice is to go immediately to a veterinarian even if you suspect a clash between viper and dog. Ultimately, when a dog encounters a viper, the owner can easily realize it: as a rule, the dog jumps back and if bitten it starts to cry painfully. The parts that are usually affected are the lips, nose, ears, throat and legs.
The symptoms that can be observed immediately after the bite are equally clear:
• pain and swelling of the bitten area with the highlighting of the two teeth;
• diffusion of the bluish red color of the area surrounding the bite;
• tiredness, sleepiness and loss of balance;
• rapid and labored breathing;
• state of shock;
• hemorrhagic vomiting (rarely);
• red urine in advanced cases.
First aid:
The advice is to prevent the bitten dog from moving and immobilizing the part: in this way the poison will enter the circulation more slowly.
It is also possible to practice a bandage of the bitten part, which is compressive of the area. Remember that the purpose is to slow down the circulation and not to stop it, so at least one finger must pass between the bandage and the dog's skin.
At this point all that remains is to immediately call a vet and get in the car.
In general, any do-it-yourself therapy that allows the poison to escape is not recommended.
The therapies:
In general, the therapies used are of three types: there is fluid therapy, essential to avoid the risk of cardiovascular collapse, the use of steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and broad-spectrum antibiotics and the use of an antiphidic serum, as far as its use is limited to hospitals.
With a quick and efficient intervention the chances for the dog to be saved are quite high. In any case, the animal must remain under control and undergo intensive therapy for at least another 72 hours.
Prevention:
If you decide to hunt in areas commonly inhabited by poisonous vipers, the advice is to have with you the number of veterinarians in the area who will probably know what to do in case of a bite. The important thing is not to lose your head: immediately abandon the hunt and head towards the car after giving first aid to our dog.