snake bit dogs survival rate

[Timemachine]

yep....they put the dog down WAY TOO SOON.

[Jerryg]

Why didn't you just call Jesse, he would have told you what to do!

[Reaper33]

thats sad to hear. My friends little anckle bitter was bit in the chest by a cottom mouth and survived. Bad advice from the bet IMO

[denimdeerslayer]

My dogs get bit often but not rattle snakes just copperheads and cottonmouths. I just give them a benedryl and they are usually fine in a few days. They are some snake killing machines. I had a rat terrier and he got the same treatment. I never taken a dog to the vet for a snake bite.

[Kdog]

Sorry about your dog.

[cantexduck]

Sorry about your dog.
Forward of the front legs is about the best place for a dog to get bit from what I understand. My lab has been bit two or three times and our cats have been bit,a lot. They swell up some but nothing some pain killers and steriod won't fix.

[BIG D]

I had a hound pup get bit on the side of the face by a copperhead when he was 8 weeks old. He was tiny. Gave him some Benidryl and after 2 days, you couldnt even tell he had been bit.

[agvet2004]

Jack Russell Terrier Dice was at my parents house in San Marcos and was bitten by a rattle snake in the face. The parents freaked and took him to the vet, the vet reported that he was blind. My guess would be due to the swelling of his head. the rattle snake antivenom was around $1500, so the parents did the smart thing and said no thanks. then the vet convinced them to put Dice down so he wouldn't suffer.

there lies the problem, i've heard of lots of dogs that were bitten in the face, had a miserable 3 days of grotesquely swollen faces, and then recovered with little or no effect. if the dog is bitten in the body, then the chances are pretty slim for a recovery.

the emergency vet clinic then charges several hundred bucks to put Dice down. unfortunately i wasn't involved, but my thoughts are that Dice might have been miserable for a few days, bet I would at least given him a chance at survival.

i'd be interested to see if anyone else has thoughts on face versus body rattlesnake bites on dogs...

I don't have percentages for survival rates. The worst ones I have dealt with are those bit on the chest cavity. Face/neck are next and limbs/distal limbs last. In order of decreasing severity: rattlesnake, cottonmouth, copperhead. The vast majority that I have seen die are from rattlesnake bites.

What tests were done at the clinic? How long from bite to exam by the vet? If he was blind, it wasn't likely from swelling, unless it was so severe the eyelids could not open. We check the nerve functions of the eyes and face with different tests and this allows us to diagnose blindness; it is very accurate. I can definitively say blind or not based on the results. If he was blind from the envenomation, I would be very concerned about additional complications.

I have a Beagle that is about the size of a JRT. He's been bitten five or six times just that I know of. The first one was bad. On the snout. Nose swelled to the size of a large grapefruit. Vet said ice, benadryl and rest. She also said dogs rarely die from snake bites, even small ones like our beagle, and they build up an immunity after the first bite. She's a country vet, but I'm guessing she knew what she was talking about. Three days later he's out hunting snakes again. Second time swelled to the size of a baseball and he was down for two days. Third time his snout swelled to a little smaller than a golf ball and he was just down for the rest of the afternoon. Rusty is now 15 and he is deaf and blind, but still gets around. Best snake killing dog I ever had.

Prayers up for you and your parents, but I think the vet made a hasty decision.

I have seen a large number die from snake bites, so rarely is a term I wouldn't use. The immunity question is very interesting. There are no studies on it, just anecdotal evidence, but there may be some truth to it. I have listened to people much smarter than me argue both sides; develops some immunity vs becoming sensitized.

My wifes parents little boston terrier cross has been bit numerous times by rattlesnakes and is still alive. I would let a dog pull through it, just take his collar off so it don't choke them from swelling. Give them benedryl and Dexamethasone. They also have a rattlesnake vaccine for less than 30 bucks a dog.

The consensus now is that steroids (dexamethasone) are contraindicated in snake bites. I don't use or recommend them in these situations.

I agree the dog probably would have made it and it was stupid for the vet to recomend putting him down.

Not near enough information to make these statements.

Luckily, my regular vet AND my emergency vet are one in the same and KNOW what they're doing (hi Mike )!

Hi Kevin

A lady that I work with had a dog get bit by a timber rattler in the face and I believe the VET told them to give it nyquil or something of the sort but Ill confirm that later when she gets back from lunch! They said the next morngin the dog was up and walking around so it must work!

If your friend's vet really did say this, I would never take an animal there again.

yep....they put the dog down WAY TOO SOON.

Again, not enough info.
Maybe he could have pulled through, or maybe he would have gone home, suffered enormously and died agonizingly with his family watching.

I am truly sorry about your parents loss. I am happy to answer any questions if I can. Will send one up for them.

[Tex21]

My dogs get bit often but not rattle snakes just copperheads and cottonmouths. I just give them a benedryl and they are usually fine in a few days. They are some snake killing machines. I had a rat terrier and he got the same treatment. I never taken a dog to the vet for a snake bite.

Benedryl is what they said not Nyquil... I didnt think it was Nyquil!

[Tex21]

I don't have percentages for survival rates. The worst ones I have dealt with are those bit on the chest cavity. Face/neck are next and limbs/distal limbs last. In order of decreasing severity: rattlesnake, cottonmouth, copperhead. The vast majority that I have seen die are from rattlesnake bites.

What tests were done at the clinic? How long from bite to exam by the vet? If he was blind, it wasn't likely from swelling, unless it was so severe the eyelids could not open. We check the nerve functions of the eyes and face with different tests and this allows us to diagnose blindness; it is very accurate. I can definitively say blind or not based on the results. If he was blind from the envenomation, I would be very concerned about additional complications.



I have seen a large number die from snake bites, so rarely is a term I wouldn't use. The immunity question is very interesting. There are no studies on it, just anecdotal evidence, but there may be some truth to it. I have listened to people much smarter than me argue both sides; develops some immunity vs becoming sensitized.



The consensus now is that steroids (dexamethasone) are contraindicated in snake bites. I don't use or recommend them in these situations.



Not near enough information to make these statements.



Hi Kevin



If your friend's vet really did say this, I would never take an animal there again.



Again, not enough info.
Maybe he could have pulled through, or maybe he would have gone home, suffered enormously and died agonizingly with his family watching.

I am truly sorry about your parents loss. I am happy to answer any questions if I can. Will send one up for them.

It was benedryl not nyquil sorry for confusion!

[NelsonV]

First of all sorry for your loss. I've never heard of a dog to die from a snake bite that I can remember. I'm guessing it happens but all instances I know the dog lived. I'm shocked a Vet went that route so suddenly.

[hoythunter28]

When I worked as a tech at a clinic this was just my observation from there. One is even though they have a vaccine it does not negate the bite it only slows some what the reaction time to the venom. Secondly most if not all the small breed dogs that were rattlesnake bit did not make it through treatment, at least where I worked. And lastly, Dice might could have made depending on if it was a dry bite or a small invenomation. I seen one dachshund and one Jack that made it through after being bit, but the owners were in the same area as the dog and could confirm that it was a rattlesnake bite. That helped with the time frame for giving antivenom. Sorry to hear about Dice sir.

[Travissalinas]

I don't have percentages for survival rates. The worst ones I have dealt with are those bit on the chest cavity. Face/neck are next and limbs/distal limbs last. In order of decreasing severity: rattlesnake, cottonmouth, copperhead. The vast majority that I have seen die are from rattlesnake bites.

What tests were done at the clinic? How long from bite to exam by the vet? If he was blind, it wasn't likely from swelling, unless it was so severe the eyelids could not open. We check the nerve functions of the eyes and face with different tests and this allows us to diagnose blindness; it is very accurate. I can definitively say blind or not based on the results. If he was blind from the envenomation, I would be very concerned about additional complications.


I have seen a large number die from snake bites, so rarely is a term I wouldn't use. The immunity question is very interesting. There are no studies on it, just anecdotal evidence, but there may be some truth to it. I have listened to people much smarter than me argue both sides; develops some immunity vs becoming sensitized.



The consensus now is that steroids (dexamethasone) are contraindicated in snake bites. I don't use or recommend them in these situations.



Not near enough information to make these statements.



Hi Kevin



If your friend's vet really did say this, I would never take an animal there again.



Again, not enough info.
Maybe he could have pulled through, or maybe he would have gone home, suffered enormously and died agonizingly with his family watching.

I am truly sorry about your parents loss. I am happy to answer any questions if I can. Will send one up for them.

some good info. appreciate the professional opinions. hard to say if Dice would have lived or died. my biggest dissapointment is that a vet would not even offer a chance based on past experiences.

[Travissalinas]

Why didn't you just call Jesse, he would have told you what to do!

i wish we would have had the chance. my parents just called and mentioned that Dice was dead and the vet charged them about $400 after the declined treatment on $1500 anitvenom. if they would have asked either Jesse or I i reckon the dog would be alive and a portion of that cash in their pocket.

[Bowhunter9790]

Sorry for your loss!