Dog News

Dog Survives Rattlesnake Bite to the Eye

by Melanie

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Photo by Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado.
Photo by Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado.

A Ken Caryl Ranch, Colorado dog is lucky to be alive after being bitten in the eye by a rattlesnake.

On Father’s Day, four-year-old poodle Annie was wandering around in her backyard, sniffing at a burrow when she was attacked.

We weren’t positive it was a snake because I hadn’t really seen the snake, even though I was 10 feet away,” said Annie’s owner, Valan Cover. “With the tall grass and it being in a burrow, you’re just having to kind of guess, and I knew the area we live in had rattlesnakes; we’d seen them.”

Cover rushed inside and frantically searched for an emergency vet who was open that evening. He was able to take the badly injured dog to the Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado (VRCC).

There’s not a lot of things they can do at home right when it happens, other than getting them to a vet,” Dr. Luke Rump said. “If they can keep them from running around, that helps a little bit, and then get them to a vet as quick as you can.”

Annie was gushing blood and vomiting, yet unresponsive, sending her into cardiac arrest. A fast-working vet team resuscitated her, though she went on to have several seizures. The team administered an antivenin, and her symptoms began to subside.

The fact she lived at all was sort of a surprise to some of the doctors,” Cover said. “It bit her three times right on the eye orbit area, some of them puncturing the cornea itself.”

I doubt that she’ll see out of it but we’re hoping to save eyeball,” Dr. Rump said.

The four-day hospital stay set Cover back about $20,000, but it was worth it to save his Annie, who will be vaccinated to help protect her from possible rattlesnake bites in the future.  She has since been recovering at home.

Officials with the center want to remind pet owners to regularly check yards, especially with tall grass, and to always keep a close watch on your pets.