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Snake Bites in Roswell, Georgia

So, it is that time of the year again! The trees are full of leaves, the grass is getting green, and the ground cover plants are in full effect. I want you to hang on to the last part of that sentence. May through September is snake season in Georgia. We have a lovely variety of both nonvenomous and venomous snakes here in Roswell. I was an emergency clinician for the first half of my career and have treated over 200 snake bites. Good part…with rapid treatment intervention most do fantastic. Bad part…it can be extremely painful and some do not make it through the treatment phase.

Now, I want to come back to that last part of the sentence in my opening statement. Understanding the ideal world that exists for small rodents will help you and your pet avoid snakes. Ground cover, such as ivy is a perfect cover for mice, rats, etc to run through while scavenging for food. So, this is where you will find the hunters…snakes. Also, leaf piles and wood piles are a great spot to for snakes to hang out and wait for prey to cross their path. There have been too many cases that presented to the veterinary hospital with a history of playing fetch in the ivy and getting bit by a snake. So, be smart and understand your environment. This will help you and your dog avoid exposure to potentially venomous snakes.

Also, nonvenomous snakes will bite your dog if they get too curious. Statistically, there are more nonvenomous snakes around Roswell Georgia than their venomous counterpart. However, a bite from them still requires veterinary care, as they can cause infection and discomfort at the bite site. It is always recommended that you bring your dog or cat in to the veterinary clinic if you think they have been bitten by any snake. A picture of the snake can be helpful for the veterinarian, but DO NOT put yourself in harms way.

The next question a client will ask while at the vet is “what can the veterinarian do” to help my pet. Many different factors play a role in the treatment of a snake bite. The core treatment is fluids, pain medication, and antibiotics. Studies have shown that steroids and antihistamines have no proven positive effect for the treatment of snake bites. Luckily, in Roswell and Alpharetta the most common venomous snake is the copperhead. We rarely have to use antivenin for these cases. However, rattlesnake or water moccasin bites will require multiple vials of antivenin. Good news is that the rattlesnakes tend to be north of Roswell and water moccasins are in South Georgia. So, as veterinarians, we take into account the location of the bite, if there is any severe bruising, and then the current state of inflammation within the body. The last factor stated previously can be evaluated with bloodwork and clotting times. This diagnostic capability is readily available at Chattahoochee Animal Clinic. This gives us the ability to evaluate if the body is keeping up with the inflammation that is created by the venom from the snake. If the dog or cat’s body is in a deficit then that will be the trigger to use antivenin. Also, this will help determine the ultimate prognosis for the bite victim.

In summary, here in the Roswell and Alpharetta area the most common venomous snake is the copperhead and they like to hang out where there is ground cover or where they can blend in to their surroundings. The prognosis is typically good, but fast recognition by the owner of the pet and then aggressive care at the veterinary hospital will improve the overall outcome. Chattahoochee Animal Clinic is fully equipped to handle snake bites this season and encourage our clients to be proactive with treatment should a bite occur. As always, if you have additional questions please give us a call.

Sincerely,

Dr. Marcus Smith

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Chattahoochee Animal Clinic

Monday

8:00 am - 6:00 pm

Tuesday

8:00 am - 6:00 pm

Wednesday

8:00 am - 6:00 pm

Thursday

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Chattahoochee Animal Clinic

Monday
8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Tuesday
8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Wednesday
8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Thursday
8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Friday
8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday
8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Sunday
Closed