How My Hound Dog Survived A Rattlesnake Bite

I can recall the time I went to the county dump to get rid of my

rubbish,and out from behind the trash container rambles a starved Hound Dog.

I looked at the poor animal and decided I would take the sick dog home.

As the weeks came and went the Hound dog became stronger and started to

wonder around the ranch chasing off the bear and mountain lions.

I would hear him barking way up in the canyons at night,when he was on a hot track.

Then one day old Dan had a swollen skull behind the ear.

I took a look at the sore and noticed right away that he had been bitten by a

Rattlesnake.Well it was to late to take the dog to the Veterinarian,so I just kept

an eye on Dan's mishap.After a week the swollen area fell out of his head.

I knew then that Dan would recover from the bite,so I doctored the spot with

Blue Violet.A few days later Dan was back chasing the bear and lions off.

Most snake bites are from pit vipers, which are poisonous

snakes that are identified by their triangular heads,

retractable fangs, and a special heat-sensing pit between the

eye and nostril. North American pit vipers include five

subspecies of copperheads,

three subspecies of water moccasins,

three subspecies of pygmy rattlesnakes,

three subspecies of massauga, and at least 26 subspecies

of rattlesnakes. Water moccasins and copperheads are found

in the eastern United States and southward through Texas.

Rattlesnakes are found throughout the contiguous

United States, with the highest concentration in the south

and southwest.

General Information

Snake bites tend to occur on the pet's head or neck. Bites

involving the trunk of the body have a poorer prognosis.

Snake bites may affect one or more body systems including

the cardiopulmonary system, the nervous system, or the

coagulation system. Usually, if the snake is not poisonous

or the venom was not injected, the pain, swelling, and

bruising at the bite site will be minimal.

Toxic Dose

Varies. Envenomation does not always occur. The severity

of envenomation is related to the time of the year, the volume

of venom present in the snake, the location of the bite, the

number of bites, and the amount of victim movement after

the bite (movement increases the spread of the venom).

The amount of venom is not related to the size of the snake.

Systemic signs such as kidney damage may take 24-72 hours

to develop in mild envenomations, so the animal should be

observed closely for several days.

Signs

May see one, two, or several small puncture wounds,

bleeding, bruising, immediate and extremely painful swelling

at the site of the bite, and tissue necrosis. The more severe

systemic signs may take up to several hours to appear and

include hypotension and shock, lethargy and weakness,

muscle tremors, nausea, vomiting, and neurological signs

including depressed respiration.

Immediate Action

Identify the snake if possible. Restrict movement of the pet.

Loosely immobilize the limb in a functional position if bitten

on an extremity. DO NOT incise the bite wound to aspirate

the venom and DO NOT apply a tourniquet without veterinary

assistance. DO NOT apply ice to the area. Seek veterinary attention.

Veterinary Care

General treatment: The animal will be kept quiet and the

bitten area immobilized if possible to decrease the spread of

the venom. The area around the wound will be clipped and

cleaned.

Supportive treatment: Antihistamines may be administered

and IV fluids given to help prevent low blood pressure.

Oxygen is given if needed. Antibiotics are used to prevent

secondary infections. Pain medication is provided as

necessary. Laboratory tests to check for bleeding problems

and organ damage will be performed repeatedly.

Blood transfusions may be necessary in cases of severe

coagulopathies. The area above and below the bite wounds

may be measured every 15 minutes to monitor the edema

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are

contraindicated in the early phase (first 24 hours) of

treatment because of the different types of venom and the

anticoagulant effects of NSAIDs. The use of corticosteroids

may be contraindicated also, as some research shows they

increase the severity of the bite.

Specific treatment: Antivenin* may be administered. The use

of antivenin is controversial and is used at the discretion of

the attending veterinarian. To be most effective, antivenin

should be given within 4 hours of the bite. It becomes less

effective as more time passes.

All snake bite victims should be observed for a minimum of

12 hours, even when there are no clinical signs. If clinical

signs are present, the length of observation is increased to

48-72 hours, as damage to organs may not appear

immediately.

Prognosis

A study of animals bitten by pit vipers showed that those

treated with antivenin, intrand antibiotics

had a mortality rate less than 1% and local tissue damage

was rare. The mortality rate in untreated patients depended

on the species of snake involved. For example, in patients

bitten by the Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes, the mortality

rate was about 10%. In the much more dangerous

Mojave rattlesnake, it could be as high as 35%.

*Two companies, Fort Dodge and Wyeth Ayerst Laboratories

produce antivenin. Veterinary clinics and human hospitals in

areas that have a high population of pit vipers have this

product on hand. Many owners want to carry this product

with them, but because of the intravenous administration

and instability of the product, it is recommended that a

veterinarian give it