Snake Season and Your Dog: What You Need to Know

Spring is here, and with it comes one of the biggest killers of dogs across Sydney: snakes. But here’s what most dog owners get wrong from the start.

Snakes don’t attack dogs. Dogs attack snakes. And when a dog chases a snake, that snake has one option: retaliate.

This distinction matters because it changes everything about how you should prepare if you live in a high-snake area. It’s not about protecting your dog from a predator. It’s about managing your dog’s own instincts.

Breed Counts

Certain breeds are hardwired to chase things that move. Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Jack Russells, and other small high-drive dogs were bred to pursue and confront prey. In suburbs like Kenthurst, Dural, and Galston where snake activity runs high, this isn’t a personality quirk. It’s a liability.

We’ve seen it play out too many times. A few years back, an owner in Dural came home to find three dead Jack Russells in their backyard. This year, we attended a callout in Baulkham Hills where the owner witnessed her Staffordshire Bull Terrier get bitten by a snake. She believes the dog was already dead before they could get it in the car to the vet.

If you’re planning to get a dog and you live in a snake-prone area, breed selection isn’t optional. Talk to your vet. Talk to breeders. Pick a dog that doesn’t have the drive to chase anything that moves.

Why It’s Deadly

Here’s where it gets worse. When a human gets bitten by a snake, they get bitten on the thumb or toe. They can sit down, stay calm, and call for help. They can tell someone what’s happened.

When a dog gets bitten by a snake, it’s almost always on the tongue, the gums, or the mouth. The dog can’t tell you anything. It runs around in distress, unable to communicate. You don’t realise something’s wrong until the dog collapses.

By then, it’s often too late.

In the first week of September alone, one vet in North Richmond brought in three dogs from snake bite in a single day. Most dog owners have no idea this is happening around them.

Speed Is Everything

The survival difference is stark. According to PetSure data, 75 per cent of dogs survive snake bite when treated with anti-venom. Without it, only 31 per cent survive.

That survival rate hinges on one thing: getting to a vet fast. And that requires knowing what you’re looking for before the collapse happens.

If your dog is restless, drooling, has dilated pupils, or is showing weakness in the back legs, get to an after-hours vet immediately. Don’t wait to see if it improves. Don’t assume it’s something else. By the time a snake-bitten dog starts showing obvious signs, the venom has already been working for several minutes.

What You Can Do

If you live in a high-snake area, make these non-negotiable:

Know where the nearest after-hours vet is. Not roughly. The exact address and phone number.

Choose your dog breed carefully. Talk to someone who understands local snake activity before you bring a dog into a snake-prone area.

Keep your dog close when you’re outside during spring and summer. Early morning and late afternoon are peak snake times.

Watch for the early signs. Drooling, restlessness, dilated pupils, weakness. Don’t wait for collapse.

Snake season is already underway. If you’re in Kenthurst, Dural, Galston, or any of the other high-activity areas across Sydney, now is the time to make those decisions. Not after something happens.