Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and treatment of Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake bites in dogs
By Willey, Jonathan R & Schaer, Michael·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2005·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) envenomation of dogs: 31 cases (1982-2002).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs was treated for serious symptoms after being bitten by an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. Common signs included rapid heart rate, swelling, lethargy, difficulty breathing, and bleeding from the bite wounds. Many of the dogs also experienced heart rhythm problems and blood disorders. Most of the surviving dogs received antivenin (a treatment for snake bites) and were hospitalized for about four days. Fortunately, the majority of these dogs recovered after treatment.
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Abstract
The medical records of 31 dogs treated for envenomation by the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) were reviewed. Twenty-four of 25 dogs that survived were hospitalized for an average of 4.3 days. The most common presenting signs were tachycardia, swelling/edema, depressed mentation, tachypnea, and bleeding puncture wounds. Thirteen (42%) of the 31 dogs were presented with or developed cardiac arrhythmias, predominantly ventricular premature contractions. Hematological disorders, including defibrination, elevated fibrin split products, hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and prolonged clotting times, were recorded in 81% of the dogs. Polyvalent crotalid antivenin was administered (mean of 4.0 vials per dog) to 88% of the surviving dogs and 50% of the nonsurviving dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15634863/