Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pit viper snake bites in two pregnant dogs and their treatment
By Hedges, Katherine et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2024·From College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Pit Viper Envenomation in Two Pregnant Bitches.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two young pregnant female dogs were brought to the vet after being bitten by a snake, which caused swelling and bleeding. The vet diagnosed them with snake envenomation and treated one dog with antivenin, a medication that helps counteract the effects of snake venom. Fortunately, both dogs recovered well with only minor complications and later gave birth to healthy puppies. This case highlights that pregnant dogs can survive snake bites with proper medical care.
People also search for: pregnant dog snake bite treatment · antivenin for dogs · dog swelling after snake bite
Abstract
Snake envenomation is relatively common in small animals, particularly in endemic areas. Effects and outcomes of envenomation during pregnancy are poorly described in humans and more so in veterinary patients. Two young pregnant female dogs presented to a university teaching hospital with a history of acute soft tissue swelling and bleeding. History, physical examination findings, and diagnostics were consistent with envenomation by crotalid snakes. Medical management of one of the dogs included administration of antivenin. Both dogs survived envenomation with minimal complications and went on to whelp without complications, and all fetuses survived. This is the first description of the management of pit viper envenomation in pregnant dogs.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38662995/