Rattlesnakes are out – beware

By Charlie Powell, WSU College of Veterinary Medicine

PULLMAN, Wash. – So far this season, Washington State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital has treated a dog and a horse bitten by rattlesnakes.

“Rauder,” a 22 year-old Icelandic horse, was bitten by a rattlesnake last weekend on the inside of the left rear leg slightly above the hoof. The bite occurred on a trail ride in the Charley Creek drainage of Asotin County, Wash.

Treatment by the Equine Medicine Team at WSU’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital has included supportive care, antivenin and ice boots to control swelling. Things are looking near normal now and he has been sent home.

The dog also fared well and left the hospital earlier last week.

The Western rattlesnake, Croatus viridis, is common in much of eastern Washington. (Photo above: Western rattlesnake, photo by the Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.) They are commonly spotted near their den areas, which are generally in rock crevices exposed to sunshine. They most often are seen at night and dusk during the spring and fall when moving to and from hibernation sites.

Rauder - Icelandic horse 200 by Henry Moore
Rauder – Icelandic horse, photo by Henry Moore

Rauder’s owners say the members of their party saw several snakes on the trail during the ride but that they moved off without incident. They did not see the one that bit Rauder however.

Anecdotal reports coming in to WSU’s veterinary hospital say that there seems to be a lot of snakes out this year, perhaps more than in most years. That might be the case since the spring weather has generally been longer, cooler and wetter than normal in eastern Washington. Taken together, such conditions shorten the overall season in which snakes can feed and breed before the fall and winter return. When warm weather does occur, snakes are likely to be more active.

Avoiding snakebite is always better than having to treat an envenomation. If you see a snake, simply keep pets and horses away until it moves off if possible. If you witness a bite, keep the animal calm, do nothing to the wound except cover it, and contact a veterinarian as soon as possible.

The best resources to learn more about snakebite in horses and pets can be found at the following site:

 

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