Hove woman says venomous snake bite caused her dog agony

Cressida Ellis, a psychotherapist who lives in Hove, was walking her whippet Bunny at Waterhall — the rewilded former golf course off Dyke Road — when the incident took place.

The pair had enjoyed what seemed like an uneventful 45-minute walk on May 21, but when they returned to the car, Bunny refused to put her right paw on the ground.

Cressida initially assumed Bunny had sprained her wrist — a common injury in whippets. She called her regular vet, who advised keeping Bunny still overnight.

But as the evening wore on, Cressida grew increasingly worried.

"It was swelling up a bit and she was really, really subdued," she said.

"She's quite a brave little soul, but I accidentally touched her and she made this crying sound — and I thought, 'that's not like her'.

"I mean, she can be a diva when she wants to be, but this sounded different."

Cressida rang the out-of-hours emergency vets and she was told her to bring Bunny in straight away.

Bunny developed severe bruising in the days after the bite (Image: Supplied)

It was there that staff discovered two puncture wounds between Bunny's toes, with blood still seeping from them. The diagnosis was an adder bite.

"They said, 'We think she's been bitten by a snake'," Cressida said. "I couldn't believe it."

Bunny was kept in overnight, put on a drip and given strong painkillers.

"She was in agony, so they put her on methadone," Cressida said.

Bunny spent the night at the veterinary surgery, but was still not in a great way when Cressida picked her up the following evening.

Cressida says Bunny was in 'agony' after the bite (Image: Supplied)

She developed severe red bruising across her chest and the swelling spread all the way up her leg to the elbow.

"It was really, really bad," Cressida said.

Bunny was taken back to the vets, who confirmed she had extensive bruising and cellulitis — a bacterial skin infection affecting deep layers of tissue — as a result of the bite.

Bunny spent a further period under veterinary supervision and was later prescribed gabapentin.

The total vet bill came to around £2,000, which Cressida was fortunately able to claim on her pet insurance.

"Make sure you've got insurance," she urged. "It's a lot of money."

The adder is the UK's only venomous snake (Image: Bernard Dupont)

Cressida said it has taken Bunny around three weeks to fully recover.

"She looked really sad — she's a very sweet little dog — and she was very ginger on that leg," said Cressida.

"The swelling didn't go down for a good week. It was really upsetting and distressing."

Cressida was told by vets that they had already seen several adder bite cases this year.

She later discovered that adders had been introduced to Waterhall as part of the site's conservation management, alongside common lizards and slow worms.

It took Bunny three weeks to recover from the snake bite (Image: Supplied)

Adders are the UK's only venomous snake and are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, making it illegal to kill or harm them.

They are described as shy and non-aggressive, typically biting only when startled or stood on — as is often the case with curious dogs.

Bites are most common between April and July, particularly during warm afternoons when adders bask in the sun.

Cressida is keen to stress she bears no ill will towards the snakes. "I quite like snakes," she said. "I haven't got anything against them."

She added that she will avoid Waterhall during the summer peak season and urged other dog walkers to stay alert, particularly in hot weather when adders are most likely to be out basking.

Bunny showing off her new t-shirt (Image: Supplied)

As a reminder of her ordeal, Bunny now has a bespoke T-shirt — made by her 'auntie' Lucy — bearing the words "Adder Bite Survivor".

Bunny, who turns six in November, is now back to full health, though the experience has left its mark.

"I think it's made her a little bit risk-averse," said Cressida. "Before, on a walk, she would just run off for five or ten minutes.

"Now she only runs off for a couple of minutes and then wants to be back by my side — which is quite sweet, actually."