Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cats bitten by rattlesnakes in Southern California - treatment
By Hoose, Jennifer A & Carr, AmyĀ·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)Ā·2013Ā·California Veterinary Specialists, United StatesĀ·View original on PubMed ā
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research ā every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work ā
Original publication title: Retrospective analysis of clinical findings and outcome of cats with suspected rattlesnake envenomation in Southern California: 18 cases (2007-2010).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Eighteen cats in Southern California were treated for suspected rattlesnake bites, with 15 surviving and 3 unfortunately passing away. The cats showed various symptoms after the bites, and some developed temporary weakness in their back legs a few days later. Treatment included antivenom, which did not cause any harmful side effects. Overall, while the mortality rate for these cats was higher than that for dogs in similar situations, most of the cats recovered well after treatment.
People also search for: cat rattlesnake bite treatment Ā· symptoms of rattlesnake envenomation in cats Ā· cat weakness after snake bite
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate treatment and survival rates of cats with suspected rattlesnake envenomation. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Veterinary emergency referral hospital in Southern California. ANIMALS: Client-owned animals. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Eighteen cats were treated for suspected rattlesnake envenomation between January 2007 and August 2010. There were 3 fatalities and 15 cats survived (16% mortality rate). Two cases developed pelvic limb paresis 3-4 days post envenomation. There were no apparent adverse reactions to treatment with antivenom. CONCLUSIONS: Cats are presented infrequently for treatment of envenomation compared to dogs. Envenomation in cats should be treated according to guidelines established for people and dogs and administration of antivenom does not appear to be associated with adverse events. The mortality rate in this study was found to be 16%, which is higher than the mortality rate reported for dogs suspected of rattlesnake envenomation in a similar region (4.1%). Pelvic limb paresis may develop 3-4 days post envenomation but can resolve within 24 hours.
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 āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23648179/