Dog walk ends with snake bite

It was a typical summer evening: Carrie Schroeder was taking her dog "Olive" for a walk when suddenly they stumbled upon a slithering threat.

"All of a sudden a snake, it was uncurled, snapped at her," Schroeder said.

The snake bit the pocket beagle in the nose. Carrie didn't waste any time—she rushed the dog to the nearest vet.

"As we drove her to the vet, her nose started to swell and swell and swell and around her neck, " Schroeder said.

Dr. Anthony Ishak, a veterinarian at Blue Pearl in Tampa, says we are seeing more and more encounters with snakes and Bufo Toads this summer.

With the all the rain we've been getting this season, snakes, poisonous toads and other critters have been pushed out of their normal habitat and are having more run-ins with our beloved pets.

"We start to see more toxicities related to toads and snakes come the summer time, and come the wet weather," Dr. Ishak said.

Dr. Ishak says they've also seen many more Bufo toads this season.  Their skin is poisonous and one bite or lick from a dog could be deadly.

"They can get problems with their nervous system and they start salivating and having GI problems as well," Ishak said.

Dr. Ishak recommends you watch your dog closely outside and if you notice unusual behavior,  rush them to a vet to be checked out.

As for little Olive, the vet believes a water moccasin bit her.  They gave her a dose of anti-venin and is expected to recover.

Carrie can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"She's a member of the family, and I don't know what I would do without her," she says.