A Melbourne woman is in a stable condition in hospital after she was bitten by a snake.

The woman, in her 20s, was bitten on her back in the yard of her house in Jessamber Court, Diamond Creek about 11pm yesterday, Metropolitan Ambulance Service spokesman Ray Rowe said.

The woman was taken to the Austin Hospital in a stable condition, but her pet dog, which was also bitten, has died.

Mr Rowe said snakes were far more active in warm weather and urged anyone who is bitten to call an ambulance.

"If someone is bitten they should be kept calm and an ambulance should be called as quickly as possible," Mr Rowe said.

"If they have been bitten on a limb, the limb should be bandaged each side of the bite to slow the venom from going through the system."

The wound should not be washed - any traces of venom left on the skin near it would help hospital staff identify the type of snake and choose the correct antivenene if the snake was not seen or caught, Mr Rowe said.

The Age 2008