Spread the love

Whether it happens in your backyard, or on a hiking trail, your curious canine can be bitten by a snake before you have time to prevent it. The most important thing you should remember is to stay calm, keep your pet calm, and identify the snake, if possible, without getting too close. If you can take a photo with your phone, that is ideal.

Pick up your dog and carry it as quickly as possible to your car. Don’t allow them to walk, even if they seem able to. If the bite was on the head or neck, remove your dog’s collar before swelling starts.

Immediately call the nearest veterinarian to find out if they can treat your dog right away. Tell them what the snake looked like, what type of dog you have, and where you are located. If you were able to get a photo, send it. Even if you are not sure whether the snake is venomous or not, it is still important that your dog get medical treatment to prevent infection at the site.

The exact treatment involved will depend on the type of snake, and a proper medication can be chosen more easily if the species is known. Rattlesnake and coral snake bites are best treated with antivenom, and calling the veterinary hospital ahead of time to see if they have—or can rapidly get—antivenom is a helpful time saver.

While driving to the vet, keep the snakebite below the dog’s heart to slow the spread of toxins. Keep yourself and your dog calm. At this point, there is nothing you can do to reduce the eventual outcome, other than get them to the vet quickly and safely.

Venomous snakes of North America are members of either the Elapidae or Crotalinae families. Elapids include several species of coral snake, including the Texas coral snake, eastern coral snake, and South Florida coral snake. Elapids are generally restricted to the southern edges of the US, whereas crotalids are dispersed across North America.

Crotalids include rattlesnakes, cottonmouth moccasins, and copperheads. Because of their wider distribution and less seclusionary behavior, bites by crotalids are much more common than bites by elapids. Rattlesnakes account for most snakebite-related deaths in humans and domestic animals in the US.

Between 150,000 and 300,000 animals are bitten every year by pit vipers in the US. Fatal snakebites are more common in dogs than in other domestic animals. Because of the relatively small size of some dogs in proportion to the amount of venom injected, the bite of even a small snake may be fatal. In dogs and cats, mortality is generally higher in cases of bites to the thorax or abdomen than bites to the head or extremities.

If your dog was bitten by a nonvenomous snake, more than likely the worst of the symptoms will be swelling, bruising, and pain at the site of the bite; treatment might only require cleaning the wound and giving antibiotics and pain medications. However, if the snake is venomous, there may be extensive swelling that spreads rapidly and includes bleeding at the site.

A dog may react to a snake bite immediately, or it may take up to 24 hours for symptoms to appear. These include pale gums, mental dullness, changes in breathing, irregular bleeding from the nose or bite site, drooling, sudden weakness, collapse, trembling, twitching, shaking, dilated pupils, diarrhea, vomiting, bloody urine, lethargy, and paralysis.

A little-known symptom of snake bites in dogs includes an immediate collapsing event followed by apparent recovery and seeming normal. This is a sign that the dog has been given a lethal dose of the venom

Snake venom can compromise the dog’s blood coagulation (clotting) and can cause them to bleed to death. It can also cause internal damage to the kidneys, muscles, and the respiratory system.

When you arrive at the veterinary hospital, your dog will be evaluated for the severity of the signs. Depending on the location of the bite and progression of symptoms, your pet could stay in intensive care for several hours or days.

Antivenom is the only direct and specific means of neutralizing snake venom. Antivenom is most effective if administered in the first 6 hours after the bite, and multiple vials of antivenom may be required.

Treatment will be directed toward preventing or controlling shock, neutralizing venom, preventing or controlling coagulopathy, minimizing necrosis, and preventing secondary infection. Any dog or cat evaluated for treatment within 24 hours after a snakebite requires intensive treatment, starting with IV administration of crystalloid fluids to combat hypotension. Rapid-acting corticosteroids may be of benefit in the first 24 hours to help control shock, protect against tissue damage, and minimize the likelihood of allergic reactions to antivenom.

Supportive care often includes pain medication and sometimes antibiotics and antihistamines. Other treatments may be necessary depending on the exact clinical signs your dog shows. Of highest concern are animals that show neurologic (nervous system) problems or breathing distress, in which case a ventilator may be needed. Many pet patients need multiple blood tests to track organ functioning and the progress of therapy.

Luckily, most dogs do survive snake bites—even of the venomous variety—with prompt and aggressive treatment.

To prevent bites in your yard, look for signs of snake activity, including heightened or noisy bird activity, excited dogs, cats stalking through tall grass, or dogs attracted to a particular spot and clawing at the ground.

Keep scrubby and bushy areas cleared and pruned. Remove potential food sources that bring in rodents, as rodents are top food sources for snakes. Mow your lawns, and remove any piles of rubbish or clutter.

Remember to always keep your veterinarian’s contact information stored in your phone, as well as posted in your home. When traveling with your pet, look up veterinarians before you arrive at your destination so that you are prepared for anything.

At Topanga Veterinary Clinic, we can help with all types of emergencies.