Here's How To Treat A Pet Who's Been Bitten By A Rattlesnake

While your pup is out and about this summer, they may encounter many other animals, critters, and objects. One animal that they’ll have to be careful around is the rattlesnake.

Rattlesnake season is just about hitting the country, and theses snakes will be hanging out around rock crevices where their dens are. Most of the time, they’re seen out and about at night or at dusk as they travel back and forth from hibernation sites.

Prevention is better than cure, but you cannot always be certain that your pup won’t run into trouble. As such, Dr. Mark Schrag of the Washington State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital has some tips for pup owners in case they find their pups have been bitten by one.

Step 1: Stay calm! You need to be in the right state of mind to help your pup. Not all rattlesnake bites contain venom – in fact, around 75% of them are dry and don’t transmit any venom at all.

Step 2: Rinse the bite out! If you have clean water on hand, that is. Infections can occur because of the bite, so prevent those.

Step 3: Keep the bite location beneath the level of the heart. This slows the flow of any possible venom towards the heart. For example, if a pup is bitten on their paw, keep the paw down low!

Step 4: Get your pup to a vet right away! Even if it isn’t a venomous bite, a pup can still get a really bad infection from a rattlesnake.

Read more about how to deal with snake bites here. Keep your pup safe this rattlesnake season! Don’t forget to like and share, too!