CALIFORNIA, USA — Your furry family member can get into all kinds of things, but a snake bite is something you really want to avoid. If it happens, you want to act quickly.
"His face started puffing up, his whole neck area started puffing up, he just kind of fell to the ground. As soon I saw that my heart completely sank," said Ashley Villagran, Dog Owner.
She did exactly what you're supposed to do, take the dog to the vet immediately.
"We can do 24 hours but ideally it's four. The sooner we do, the less swelling is there and the less painful to the dog also there is less impact on the red blood cells," said Dr. Saurabh Singroha, DVM at Grand Canyon Veterinary Hospital.
Vets say if you can see the snake, take note of the color and pattern, but don't waste time trying to catch the snake. Focus on the dog. You want to keep the dog as still as possible to reduce the possible spread of venom. Carry the dog to the car if you can and call the vet on the way to alert them you're coming with a snake bite.
This was interesting, some say you can train your dog to avoid snakes.
"We do scent with the tongs, we do the sound when they are going around the stations, and then we put them on the ground where you are at, and see where they are at. They are going to be zapped again until they don't. And pretty soon, they don't need a shock collar. They won't go, some you can't even drag them near the snake," said John Lauermann, a Field Herpetologist.
He says the classes are about 20 minutes apiece.
2WTK talked one on one with a vet about the common questions people ask about dogs and snake bites. You can watch the interview here. Chances are, your questions will be answered.