“I’m really lucky, because I was told a lot of hospitals don’t tend to hold anti-venom but this one did. The consultant had to ring the Poisons Information Service to find out what dose was needed.”
The PR worker was given morphine and spent the night at the hospital.
Her leg then started to swell to “double the size”, with doctors giving her a second dose of the antidote and keeping her in for another day.
She described the experience as “like acid being poured over your legs” and said she wouldn’t wish it on her worst enemy.
Adders are the only venomous snake in the UK with around 50-100 bites reported each year. Around 70 percent of these don’t result in serious injury.
Beau is now recovering from the bite but hopes to raise awareness so people know what to do if they are ever bitten.
The snakes are only known to bite when they feel threatened, such as when stepped on or approached by a dog.
Beau, who is still struggling to walk and experiencing agonising pain, said she believes that if Bonnie had been bitten then her pet would not have survived.
She added: “There isn’t much in the way of aftercare because it’s so rare in the UK.
“Apparently you’re more likely to be hit by lightning, the odds are so small.
“I ended up calling the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and London Zoo for advice on what to do now I’m out of hospital.
“My leg has turned yellow and I’m on crutches for now. Even lifting my leg to get into bed at first was just agony.
“I’m still in pain now, six days on. The only way I can describe it is like when you get painful lactic acid build-up when you’re exercising, only all over your body and it being constant.
“I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”
Adder bites almost always take place in rural areas, and NHS advice states that those bitten should stay calm and seek immediate medical attention.
Beau said: “I was lucky we were about 300 yards from the car when it happened,” Beau added.
“If I’d been on my own and in the middle of nowhere I don’t know if I’d have been as fortunate.”
