There are many different varieties of rattlesnakes in the Southern California area. The most common found in San Diego County is the Southern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus Helleri). They can grow to about 4 ½ feet in length. They are quite venomous and potentially fatal to you or your pet.

Things to know about rattlesnakes:

• Like all reptiles they are ectothermic (“cold blooded”). They must rely on the warmth of the sun to increase body temperature and seek shade to lower it. For this reason, during the hottest part of the summer they often hunt at night. During the heat of the day they prefer to keep in shady areas (under brush or foliage, old logs and woodpiles, under rocks).

 

Most all bites to humans, dogs and cats occur as a result of the snake being disturbed in its hiding place or cornered. The snake’s only defense is to bite!

Rattlesnakes can be identified by a brown, sandy coloration usually with a “diamond” pattern along their backs. The head is triangular in shape. Adults will have rattles at the end of their tails which produce a characteristic buzzing sound.

 

• More strikes seem to occur in spring when the snakes are coming out of hibernation. The “snakebite season”, however, lasts all summer and into the fall.
• Baby rattlesnakes are just as, if not more dangerous than adults! They are more likely to inject large amounts of venom. Also, they have no rattles and cannot provide a warning when threatened.

 

 

Ways to avoid having your pet (or you) being struck:

• When out walking or hiking stay on well marked trails and keep your dog on a leash!  Do not let dogs sniff under bushes, logs or rocks.
• Keep your eyes open. Rattlesnakes do not always rattle prior to striking.
• Around the yard try to avoid providing places that snakes like to hide such as wood piles, sheds or heavy brush. These are also places that attract small rodents which are the snake’s main prey.

Telltale signs of Rattlesnake Bites
Rattlesnake bites typically (but not always) produce:

• Major swelling at the area of the bite.
• Bruising near the area of the bite.
• Pain.
• Two puncture marks (these sometimes very difficult to see).
• Dogs are usually struck on the muzzle because they like to sniff around the areas where snakes hide or they try to bite at the snake. Cats are struck much less frequently than dogs but when they are it is often on one of the front paws as they try to swat at the snake or claw it out of its hiding place.

Treatment for Rattlesnake Bites
A rattlesnake bite will need hospitalization for at least one and probably more days depending on how bad the bite is. Treatment will include:

• Intravenous fluids to ward off shock (fatality in rattlesnake bites is due to hypovolemic shock)
• A blood panel including multiple clotting tests (Rattlesnake venom affects the blood’s ability to clot).
• Administration of antivenin. Often more than one vial. Cats and small dogs typically need more antivenin than large dogs because they have received a proportionally higher dose of venom.
• Antivenin is an antidote to snake venom and is very expensive. At times it can also be very difficult just to get.
• Antibiotic injections. The bite produces tissue necrosis which can lead to infection.
• Injections to reduce pain. Rattlesnake bites are very painful.
• Very severe cases may require surgery to remove dead tissue, and plasma transfusions to maintain the blood’s ability to clot.

If your pet is bitten by a Rattlesnake:

• Do not panic. Keep your pet as calm as possible. Excitement increases the heart rate and spreads the venom more rapidly.
• Seek veterinary treatment immediately. Time is critical. The sooner treatment is initiated the more effective treatment will be.
• Do Not: Apply a tourniquet, or cut the skin around the bite, or attempt to suck out the venom. Things like this work great in the movies but not in real life. They also waste valuable time in getting proper treatment.
• Do Not: Ignore it because you heard of or have had a dog that was bitten by a rattlesnake and it was ok or only needed minimal treatment. Snakebites can be different in different situations. Your dog (or this imaginary dog you heard of) may have had a “dry bite” (a bite where no venom is injected) in the past, unlike the full dose of venom your dog just now may have gotten.
  

If you see a Rattlesnake:

• In the wild:  Leave it alone! Give it a wide berth. Rattlesnakes can strike roughly two-thirds of their body length so stay well away from it. If it is hiding under something, go around it. If it is moving across a path or open space, back off and let it pass by (The snake doesn’t want to attack you, it wants to get away from you). Don’t let your dog chase it or sniff at it.
• In your yard: Leave it alone! Stay inside and keep your pets inside. It may go away. Do not try to kill it or put something over it. This could get you bitten. If you find a dead rattlesnake or have killed one, be careful. The fangs are still capable of injecting venom.
• Try calling the Dept. of Animal Control or the Fish and Game Dept. There are also private companies and organizations that provide wildlife removal. They can be found in the phone book or by searching the internet. A good source of information on wildlife removal and keeping rattlesnakes (and other wildlife) away from your home is Project Wildlife. They can be found at http://www.projectwildlife.org.

This is a California Kingsnake. If you see one of these in your yard, leave it alone and hope that it stays around. Kingsnakes, aside from preying on mice, rats and other pests, also kill rattlesnakes, so they are quite beneficial. They are immune to rattlesnake venom. They are not poisonous and are harmless to you and your pets. Note that it has characteristic brown and yellow bands, no rattles, and a narrow “bullet shaped” head. 


As you can see a rattlesnake bite is nothing to take lightly. It is life threatening and causes intense pain. It can be complicated and quite expensive to treat so it is definitely in your pet’s and your best interest to be cautious and wary of the danger

More information on local Rattlesnakes can be found here:

www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/c.o.helleri.html

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/issues/snake.html

http://www.desertusa.com/may96/du_rattle.html.