Family dog dies after adder bite as most Danish vets lack antivenom

A nine-year-old pekingese named Sarah died after being bitten by an adder in northern Denmark, as her family struggled to find a vet with the necessary antivenom, DR reports.

The incident occurred during Easter at the family’s summerhouse near Blokhus, Nordjylland. Sarah was walking in the undergrowth when she was bitten on the paw. Her owner, Tom Dahl Sørensen, noticed bleeding and immediately sought veterinary help.

“She couldn’t stand on her legs and had diarrhoea. It was terrible,” said Carina Fuglsang, Sarah’s co-owner. The family called multiple local vets, but none had antivenom in stock. After a 45-minute drive to an animal hospital in Svenstrup, Sarah—weighing just four kilograms—was already severely weakened. She died the following day.

Mette Rørbæk Gantzhorn of the Danish Veterinary Association explained that antivenom is rarely needed, as most adder bites can be treated with supportive care. “It’s an unnecessary cost for clinics to stock it if it expires unused,” she said.

Fuglsang criticised the lack of preparedness: “It’s great that it doesn’t happen often, but it does happen.”

How to protect your dog from adder bites
– Make noise while walking—adders avoid loud disturbances.
– Keep dogs on short leashes to monitor their movements.
– If bitten, keep the animal calm and seek immediate veterinary care.
– Smaller dogs are at higher risk of severe reactions.