Dog and cat owners are being urged to be careful with numerous animals having been bitten by snakes, one of them fatally, in recent weeks.
Dr Kate Lloyd, of the Altona Veterinary Clinic, described this year’s snake season as the worst and earliest she had seen in 12 years.
The clinic has treated two animals for snake bites, while multiple cases have been seen at the Point Cook emergency centre.
“We had another two clients whose dogs got bitten a couple of weeks ago and we lost a dog last weekend that got bitten,” Dr Lloyd said.
“At the beginning of the season the snakes’ venom is the most potent because they haven’t had a bite; they’ve been asleep all winter.
“There is no way I would ever let my dogs off-lead run around Cherry Lake from now probably until April.
“Even at the beach and all the off-leash areas – fine on the sand, but don’t let them run up into the bushes because it’s just natural that dogs are going to bark and have a go at them, and the snakes are going to have a go back.”
Anaf Massood, whose cat Tia was bitten by a snake, said it was lucky the animal managed to stagger home.
“We don’t let her go out when we’re out of the house,” he said.
“They told us is if we hadn’t picked up the fact that she’d be bitten and taken her within those couple of hours to the vet, then her chance of survival would have been much lower.’’
He said many owners might not realise the cost of treatment could be up to $5000 and they should consider pet insurance.
People can call Hobsons Bay council on 9932 1000 to arrange for snakes to be removed from their properties.
