GILBERT, AZ (AZFamily) — Doctors at the Arizona Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Center (AVECCC) say they’ve seen a recent spike in the number of dogs bitten by rattlesnakes.
“It can end up being very serious in extreme cases,” said Dr. Coyne Hopey. “If your pet is bitten by a rattlesnake, immediate medical attention is critical.”
Dr. Hopey says immediate attention is critical if your pet is bitten. “Severe or life-threatening symptoms may occur immediately after the bite or within a couple of hours. In either event it is best to get your pet to a veterinarian as soon as possible.”
The critical care center in Gilbert recently treated a 12-year-old Chihuahua named Murphy. His owner says he was outside when he saw a rattlesnake bite him in their backyard in Gold Canyon.
“He got him here very quickly. He was very worried about his sweet little guy. We were able to move forward with treatment. We were able to get him home the next day,” said Dr. Hopey.
Murphy was treated with two vials of anti-venom. “He still had a lot of swelling in his face, but was able to be managed at that point at home,” said Dr. Hopey.
The AVECCC offers a few tips to reduce the chance of a rattlesnake bite. First, make sure to use a short leash. They say most rattlesnake bites happen when a dog is off-leash or on a long leash.
Secondly, they recommend avoiding dense brush and grassy areas. If you’re hiking, you should stay on the trail. If you encounter a rattlesnake, you should “calmly and slowly back away from the snake until you are no longer within striking distance (about the snake’s length) and until the snake stops rattling. Carefully leave the area because one snake usually means more are within the immediate area.”
Signs that a rattlesnake has bitten your pet include puncture wounds, severe pain, swelling, lethargy, collapse, muscle tremors, diarrhea, seizures and difficulty breathing.
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