You’re enjoying a summer hike with your dog when you hear a yelp. She’s just been bitten by a rattlesnake.
Now what?
About 150,000 dogs in the U.S. are bitten by rattlesnakes each year, according to UC Davis.
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At Pet Emergency & Specialty Center in La Mesa during the warm months, veterinarians have been seeing roughly two to three cases a day, according to veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Willey, the facility’s medical director.
Boo, a Border Patrol dog, was bitten by a rattlesnake while patrolling the Otay Mountain Wilderness on May 9. Boo is on the mend after being treated with antivenom. (U.S. Border Patrol)
Earlier this month, a Border Patrol dog was one of them. Boo, a German shepherd, was bitten while on patrol in the Otay Mesa Wilderness and airlifted to the La Mesa hospital. After antivenom treatment, he’s on the mend, authorities said.
During summer, rattlesnakes typically hide out in brush, under rocks or in holes during the heat of the day and come out late in the afternoon or early evening to soak up the ground’s residual heat or to sunbathe. Most bites occur when dogs are sniffing around in a backyard or in brush along a hiking trail.
The good news is that, with proper care, the chances of survival are high.
The symptoms
Unless you see the encounter, rattlesnake bites can sometimes be hard to diagnose. While some dogs might yelp or limp after being bitten, others might become slightly more sluggish and require closer inspection.
“It’s very painful at the site — that’s a hallmark of a snakebite,” said Willey. “Pretty quickly, you’ll see swelling at the bite site. And you’ll start to see bruising of the skin.”
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Dogs are typically bitten in the face or on the leg.
“If you see small punctures, that would be an indication,” said San Diego Humane Society veterinarian Dr. David Joseph.
Vomiting and diarrhea can also occur.
The rattlesnake species native to the region have venom that can cause necrosis, but generally not seizures or paralysis.
Seek immediate medical attention
If you suspect your dog has been bitten, experts say the most important step is getting the animal to a veterinarian as soon as possible for antivenom treatment.
Not every vet office carries antivenom, although local animal emergency hospitals typically would. If in doubt, call ahead.
A dog being treated for a rattlesnake bite at Pet Emergency & Specialty Center in La Mesa shows the progression of swelling, even after being treated with antivenom. The dog spent multiple days in the hospital but eventually recovered. (Dr. Emily Sachs)
Limit your dog’s movement, if possible. Smaller dogs can be carried off a trail, but larger dogs may have to walk out on their own.
“The more motion, the more likely that the venom is going to spread around,” Joseph said.
Time is of the essence, and a long delay seeking treatment could hamper the dog’s ability to recover.
Joseph advised owners not to put a tourniquet on the wound, because if applied incorrectly, it could increase the venom absorption while also causing significant damage to local tissue.
Additionally, sucking out the venom — despite what Hollywood might tell you — is generally considered an ineffective method to extracting venom from wounds, according to a study published by the National Library of Medicine in 2004.
Treatment and its costs
If it’s obvious the dog was bitten by a rattlesnake, Willey will immediately start an intravenous catheter and give one vial of antivenom. That will be followed by pain medication and hydrating IV fluids.
“In general, I like to keep them a minimum of 12 hours,” she said of the hospitalization time. “I’ve had some seem pretty good after that first vial, then you see them getting swollen again and you need to give a second.” In more severe cases, dogs could be hospitalized for a couple of days.
A test after the first vial that looks at how long it takes the animal’s blood to clot and the number of platelets can help determine if more antivenom is needed, Willey said.
If it’s unclear that a rattlesnake is to blame, tests can also help determine if antivenom is needed.
Treatment can be pricey.
Each treatment of antivenom can cost upwards of thousands of dollars, and the number of vials needed to effectively treat a dog can differ, Joseph explained. There are also other expensive factors that might need to be included in the dog’s care, such as lengthy vet stays, blood tests and antibiotics to prevent infection.
“On average, it’s usually two vials that can be administered, but there are some dogs that need up to, say, 20 vials,” Joseph said. “And they could have low blood pressure, which will require frequent monitoring.”
The three types of rattlesnakes that are indigenous to the region carry hemotoxins, resulting largely in swelling and bruising injuries, or necrosis if not treated: the red diamond rattlesnake, the Southwestern speckled rattlesnake and the Southern Pacific rattlesnake, also known as the Western rattlesnake. The eastern deserts also get sidewinders.
Some rattlesnakes — although not ones typically seen in San Diego County — carry neurotoxins, making them more dangerous. Their bites attack the nervous system, possibly leading to seizures, the inability to walk or the inability to breathe due to respiratory paralysis or extreme swelling in the throat, Willey warned.
Preventative measures
There are ways to avoid such a financially and emotionally draining situation.
Keep your dog on leash and closely monitored if you’re in an area known as a hot spot for rattlesnakes, veterinarians said.
A Southwestern speckled rattlesnake lies on the desert floor. (Paul Bersebach / Orange County Register/SCNG)
Keep your dog away from tall grasses on hikes or away from fallen logs and trash. If your dog freely roams your backyard, keep them away from woodpiles or leaf litter, and make sure your dog is inside by dusk. Regularly check your backyard for snakes, and consider installing snake fencing.
“A lot of the bites we see do come from the backyard,” Willey said.
For serious hikers, there are specialty dog harness backpacks that can be used in an emergency to carry large dogs.
If a bite does occur, experts say having pet insurance can help keep costs in check. But should check that your policy covers antivenom.
“Just getting pet insurance that covers an incident like this can help, because I would expect thousands of dollars for treatments,” Joseph said.