What to do if a rattlesnake bites your dog

Do this now

• Move your dog away from the snake, calmly. Do not try to catch, kill or move the snake. If you can do it safely from a distance, take a photo of it to help the vet identify it, but never take a risk for the photo.
• Keep your dog as calm and still as you can, and carry them if you can. Staying calm and limiting movement is the advice from veterinary hospitals.
• Go straight to an emergency vet. Do not wait to see whether symptoms develop: signs can take up to 24 hours to show, and a small snake may leave no visible marks.
• Phone the clinic on the way. Tell them you are coming and ask whether they have antivenom, because most clinic websites do not say.
• If someone is with you, ask them to watch your dog during the drive.

What not to do

• Do not cut the wound or try to suck out the venom.
• Do not put on a tourniquet.
• Do not apply ice or heat to the bite.
• Do not give pain medication, tranquilizers or steroids unless a vet tells you to.
• Do not wait and see. Speed matters more than anything you can do at home.

Signs of a bite

Look for any of these. A dog does not need to show all of them.

• Two puncture marks about half an inch to an inch apart. Swelling can hide them.
• Swelling, bruising and pain at the bite, often within about 30 minutes. Swelling can keep growing for up to 36 hours.
• Bleeding from the bite that does not stop.
• Drooling, weakness or wobbling.
• In severe cases: trouble breathing, an abnormal heartbeat, collapse or paralysis.
• Unexplained swelling or severe pain after time outdoors, even with no visible bite marks.

Why speed matters

One emergency hospital group reports the best chances when treatment starts within 1 to 2 hours of the bite, and says antivenom works best when given within about 4 hours, along with IV fluids. It also says that an untreated bite is often fatal. Outcomes vary with the snake, the dog and where the dog was bitten, so treat every bite as an emergency.

What happens at the vet

Treatment depends on how your dog is doing, but vets describe a similar pattern.

• IV fluids to keep blood pressure stable.
• Pain control, often with opioids.
• Antivenom (antivenin), which is the only proven treatment for reducing the effects of the venom. Reactions are rare, so some vets give an antihistamine first.
• Blood tests and monitoring, because venom can affect clotting, platelets and potassium.
• Wound care, and in severe cases skin grafts.
• Often an overnight stay for monitoring.

Cost and insurance

An emergency visit with antivenom and overnight care can add up to a large bill. Pet insurance only helps if it is in place before the bite, and usually excludes anything that started before the policy. Our list of pet insurance companies is in the "Paying for a vet bill" category.

After you go home

• Expect a period of rest, for example about two weeks, with short leashed walks only. Follow your vet's instructions on medication and any cone.
• Go back at once if swelling spreads, your dog stops eating, or seems weaker.

Preventing a bite

• Keep your dog on a leash and on the trail. Avoid tall grass, rocks and woodpiles.
• Learn the common local rattlesnake species, and remove rodents and nesting places around your home and garden.
• Consider rattlesnake aversion training with a professional. Trainers who offer it are listed on this site.
• About the rattlesnake vaccine: the UC Davis veterinary teaching hospital does not stock or recommend it, citing a lack of clinical trials. Another veterinary hospital says the results are mixed and that a vaccinated dog still needs immediate care if bitten.