Dad and Chief were playing a game of tug-of-war in the backyard when the dog suddenly jumped right at his feet while snarling and growling.
It all happened so quickly, Dad fell down wondering what was going on. He then saw Chief shaking what he thought was the rope in his mouth. But it wasn’t the rope used for tug-of-war…
This rattlesnake had been lurking in the grass and positioning to attack.
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But Chief got to the snake before the snake could attack anyone. Chief was bitten on the nose, and it started swelling up.
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The venom started setting in. Chief panicked and didn’t want to be touched.
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Dad carried Chief to the car, and they headed to the vet. “Thankfully, the ER Vet had anti-venom/antivenin on hand. I’m not sure he would have made it without it. It ran $780 for one vial so I’m grateful he didn’t need a second dose.”
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“The ER found more snake bites on him but they think they were dry bites – where the snake didn’t inject venom when it struck. He was even more lucky because the snake struck the bony part of his muzzle which meant the fangs glanced off instead of really sinking in.”
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Chief would make a full recovery. What a hero!
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It’s important to get a dog to the vet within an hour of a snake bite. The sooner they can get the anti-venom, the better.
You can even get your dog vaccinated against snake venom if you live in an area with lots of rattlesnakes.
This close call could help save some lives, so we’re glad the story was shared.
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