A PUPPY was poisoned by a suspected snake bite at a popular walking spot in Irvine.

Nova, a six-month-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, was bitten in her paw by a creature in the grass at the back of St John Ogilvie’s in Bourtreehill at a spot known as the Corny on Friday, October 9.

Her owner Robynne McCritchie has warned others taking their pet down the popular riverside walk to be careful after her dog had to be rushed to an emergency vets where she spent the night.

Robynne, 30, told the Times: “It was about 4pm, we were out walking with her and she was off the lead.

“She was out sniffing the grass when she jumped back.

“She then looked as If she was going to attack something, she kept licking her paw, and we knew something was up.

“When I tired to look at her paw she bit me, we’d heard about other snake bites locally and were getting worried.

“She started to get really lethargic and was barely responding to her name.”

Robynne and her partner Iain Graham rushed their puppy to the Vets4Pets in Irvine, who pulled what appeared to be a thin stinger or fang from her paw.

Nova was then sent to an emergency vets in Kilmarnock, Vets Now, who gave her fluids overnight to flush out the venom.

She was thankfully discharged the next day and is now recovering at home.

Robynne is convinced that her pet became ill due to a snake bite and is concerned there may be more of the creatures at the grassy spot popular with other dog owners.

She said: “I went back to the exact spot it happened and could see markings along the grass that were the same width of a snake.

“We were lucky that we caught it so quickly and the fact we got her straight in was a big help.

“I’d be worried if it happened to a smaller dog or an older dog.”