Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Most dogs and cats recover within 5 days after pit viper snakebite
By Doyle-Odenbach, Riley et al.·Published in American journal of veterinary research·2026·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Most dogs and cats recovered within 5 days of discharge after hospitalization secondary to crotalid (pit viper) envenomation: a survey-based study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs and cats were hospitalized after being bitten by a pit viper, and most of them recovered within five days of going home. Out of the pets surveyed, 78% returned to their normal selves quickly, while a few took longer, up to nine weeks. Some pets showed temporary changes in behavior after the incident, but serious long-term issues were rare. If your pet is lethargic for more than a few days after a snake bite, it's important to contact your veterinarian for further care.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify potential long-term sequelae associated with crotalid (pit viper) envenomation in dogs and cats. METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records identified dogs and cats that survived to hospital discharge following pit viper envenomation from January 1, 2018, through July 31, 2024. Pet owners were solicited via email to participate in an online survey from July 17, 2024, through August 31, 2024. The survey responses were analyzed to describe outcomes and to assess potential associations between the number of vials of antivenom administered, modified snake bite severity score, medical and behavioral sequelae, and time to full recovery. RESULTS: 51 of 241 surveys (21%) were returned. Forty-seven dogs and 4 cats were enrolled in the study. Forty patients (78%) returned to normal within 5 days of discharge, whereas it took 3 dogs (6%) 6 to 9 weeks to fully recover. Seven patients (13.7%) were suspected of developing behavioral changes after envenomation. The Modified Snakebite Severity Score at admission correlated with the number of antivenom vials administered (ρ = 0.412) and the number of days to return to normal behavior (ρ = 0.455); however, the number of vials of antivenom administered was not significantly associated with recovery duration. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term sequelae were uncommon in dogs and cats after pit viper envenomation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Pet owners should be informed of potential transient lethargy (< 5 days) and instructed to seek veterinary care if their pet's lethargy persists for longer.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41637857/