29/08/2026
PERTH SNAKES ARE WAKING UP. What to do, if you find your pet playing with a snake.
Snakebite season is starting again in Perth and throughout our state with our staff reporting seeing venomous snakes in bushland. As the temperatures increase, we know from experience that the incidence of bites is going to increase. This is a reminder for all pet owners to take precautions to hopefully avoid an emergency vet visit.
Perth's bushland corridors and lakes provide a haven for all wildlife including snakes. Snakes are an essential part of our natural ecosystem. They are not villains but bite humans, dogs and cats in self defense. Though these pictures have been chosen to get your attention, the majority of interactions between our pets and snakes involve the snake desperately trying to escape from conflict. Our Australian snakes tend to prefer to avoid confrontation, however, when scared due to being attacked, bitten, chased, or disturbed by an inquisitive dog or cat, they can inflict a lethal bite. Keeping dogs on a lead and under observation in bushland can minimise the chance of them interacting with snakes. Keep cats inside to prevent them hunting snakes.
Signs of snakebite can be subtle at first and can progress with devastating rapidity to complete paralysis and an inability to breathe which is the most common cause of acute death in envenomated dogs and cats. WAVES ventilates multiple cases of snake envenomation every year. Snake venom may also stop the blood clotting causing internal bleeding and with tiger snakes bites severe muscle damage also occurs. Antivenom is required to neutralise these effects.
If you see your pet in close contact with a snake it is important that you immediately phone your regular veterinarian or an emergency service such as WAVES to inform them that you are coming down with a potential snake bite patient and to obtain first aid advice if your pet already appears unwell. If your dog is small enough, carry it to the car, as activity hastens the signs of envenomation. Always take your pet to the vet immediately, while trying to keep it calm. Do not take a wait and see approach and don't waste time looking for the bite as it is uncommon to be able to find the very small bite in dogs and cats.
If your pet has been playing with or near a snake and suddenly vomits, loses control of its bowels or bladder, collapses or has unusual breathing and then appears to recover, it is highly likely to have received a lethal bite and require treatment.
If the snake is dead it can be taken to the vet to help identify what type of snake it is, but always check it is dead first so that you don’t get bitten by a wounded snake. DO NOT attempt to kill or catch live snakes, they are a protected species by law and it is safest for you to leave them alone. If required veterinarians can run tests to determine the best type of antivenom to use and we don’t want to have to deal with envenomated humans as well!
If you have snakes on your property and find your pet to be weak, having difficulties walking and unable to blink or has red or dark brown urine then always consider snakebite as a potential cause. If your pet stops breathing on route to a veterinarian then you can give mouth to nose breathing to help keep them alive to reach the hospital. Snakebite cases are best treated in hospital where veterinarians have life support equipment available if required.
Australia is lucky to have the best antivenoms in the world and with intensive care over 90% of dogs and cats bitten by snakes, who reach a veterinary hospital with their heart still beating, will survive and live a normal life. The old rumour that once a dog was bitten by a snake it couldn't be saved was true in 1920 but not in 2020!
To minimize the chance of your pets being bitten- keep dogs on a short lead when walking in bushland and don't allow them to sniff in areas where a snake could be hiding. Prevent cats from wandering, keep your lawn well mowed and ensure there are no piles of rubble near the house.
If you have believed some of the old wives tales about snakebite then the following have been shown to definitely not be helpful in snake bite- Vitamin C, lancing the wound and sucking out the venom, keeping the patient walking, rubbing anything into the wound, or applying a tourniquet. Many of these old wives tales can increase the risk of death with bites by Australian snakes.
Pressure bandages are lifesaving for bites on the hands, arms, feet and legs which are common in humans. However, these bandages when placed around the head, neck, or shoulders where our pets are commonly bitten can interfere with the patients breathing.
It is extremely rare to ever see a snake coiled up around an animal like seen in these photos and we suspect the snakes got a bit confused or frightened. Australian venomous snakes normally try to avoid humans and animals. Please respect them as an important part of our environment and part of what makes Australia such an amazing place to live. Snake catchers/ snake removers will relocate snakes from people's property and find them a new home safe away from being attacked by dogs and cats. You can find help to relocate snakes by googling snake catchers or snake removal for your local area. Never try to relocate a snake yourself if you haven’t been trained in the safe handling of snakes as this can result in a hospital visit or death and there are many reports of humans being bitten when they attempt to pick up snakes! If you live in an area where snake bites are a potential risk then consider snake aversion training for your dog. Keeping your cat confined can also help prevent bites.
