Yesterday we saw our first two adder bites of the year, so the weather has definitely warmed up! Some years we see the first one in January...but it has been a very long and cold winter this year.

This is Daisy. If you look closely you can see the bite on the end of her nose, and as you can see, her face is very swollen. She was feeling shocked, painful, weak and sorry for herself. She hadn't expected that stick to bite, just when she was enjoying her holiday near the beach!

We were very worried last year when the adder anti-venom became even harder than usual to get hold of, but fortunately, with a special import licence, it can still be done. We treat about 20 per year, and touching wood they all survive, but the survival rate when they don't get antivenom early is much lower.

Daisy had a drip with her antivenom, plus antibiotics (snake bites are notoriously infected) and painkillers, and was able to go home overnight. Today she is feeling much better and her face is returning to its normal size, so she should be able to enjoy the rest of her holiday - on the lead!

Be aware that there are adders on all the Burrows and many of the dune areas locally. In hot weather be very careful, and consider walking on the beach instead. If you think your dog has been bitten, don't panic, just get to us as soon as possible, phoning first if it is out of hours. His chances of survival are high, as you can see, even if he is a small dog with a full dose of venom, like Daisy.