Cats survive snake bites better than dogs

By Beth Leermakers

Cats and dogs that have been bitten by a snake — venomous or nonvenomous — need to see a veterinarian immediately. 

Your list of emergency clinics will come in handy if the bite occurs after your vet’s regular hours. 

Do NOT administer first aid. Studies have found that first aid for snake bites is ineffective and potentially harmful. Specifically, DO NOT

• Apply a tourniquet

• Use an ice or hot pack 

• Suck out the venom

• Cut out the bite area

• Urinate on the wound

DO:

Remove the cat or dog as quickly as you safely can. Carry her to the car (even if she can walk on her own). Take a photo of the snake (if you can do so safely) to share with your vet for identification purposes. 

Keep your pet as calm and still as possible. Increased stress and movement increase blood flow, dispersing the venom further. Keep the bitten part of your cat or dog below the level of the heart, if possible, to slow the spread of toxins while you’re enroute to the vet.

Treatment of Snake Bites

Treatment by your vet will depend on the location of the bite, species of snake and severity of the symptoms. A nonvenomous snake bite on a paw may only require cleaning the wound and administering antibiotics and pain medication. But a severe bite to the face from a rattlesnake will require more extensive treatment.  

Treatment may include: 

• Administration of an antivenom, if available. Pit viper antivenom treatment is most effective if given within six hours of the bite.

• IV fluid therapy (to treat shock and support blood pressure) 

• Medication (pain, antibiotics, antihistamines)

• Blood tests (to track organ functioning and treatment progress)

• Ventilator (if your pet has neurologic or breathing problems)

Fortunately, most dogs and cats recover from snake bites with prompt treatment. A study in Australia found that cats are twice as likely to survive venomous snake bites than dogs. 

Venom acted more slowly on cat plasma than dog plasma, so it took longer for the venom to affect the cat’s blood clotting ability. 

Furthermore, cats tend to swat at a snake with their paws (a less vascular site to receive a bite), while dogs tend to get bitten on their nose or mouth. 

I hope you’ll never need these tips, but it’s better to be prepared.