A puppy has been bitten by an adder in the New Forest, marking the first reported case of the year.

Forest Veterinary Clinic based in Fordingbridge and Ringwood has confirmed that they received their first case of a dog bitten by an adder on April 4.

A seven-month-old springer spaniel called Tilly was bitten near Fordingbridge and then rushed to the vet where she was treated by the Forest Veterinary Clinic and thankfully is recovering well.

The adder is the only venomous snake native to the UK and is also found across northern Europe. It is a protected species in the UK.

Adders are most commonly, found on dry, sandy heaths, sand dunes, rocky hillsides, moorlands and woodland edges.

Tilly was bitten by an adderTilly was bitten by an adder (Image: Forest Veterinary Clinic)

Tilly's owner, Kathrin Wallis was walking her and said: "Tilly walked up to a bit of heather in the middle of the pathway and a small snake was just sitting there sunbathing right in the middle of the path.

"It bit her on her lip, her nose started running but she would not come anywhere near me for some reason. A kind gentleman helped me get her back to the car and I called the vet straight away and managed to get her there within 20 minutes.

"We had a spaniel for 13 and a half years before Tilly and we never had a problem with adders so this was a surprise."

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Forest Veterinary Clinic has given some advice on adder bites and they said: "Adders are not aggressive and generally only bite when provoked by a dog accidentally standing on them or being sniffed.

"The symptoms of an adder bite include fast bruising and swelling which rapidly spreads, you sometimes may not see the puncture marks. If you have any suspicions that your dog has been bitten by an adder please keep your dog still and calm as excitement and moving around spreads the venom, carrying your dog back to the car if possible and call ASAP to be seen at your local branch.

"Make sure you stay vigilant when out and about especially during the spring as the adders love this sort of weather."

To find out more you can visit the Forest Veterinary Clinic website at forestvets.co.uk.