Rattlesnake Bite Treatment

It is extremely important to know all about rattlesnake bite treatment. First, because it is a poisonous snake and if help is not provided immediately, then it can prove fatal; and secondly, if you have knowledge about the treatment, you can help out others as well. Let us look at how to treat a rattlesnake bite effectively.

A rattlesnake will usually be in the coiled position before administering a bite. Only the front section of its body will be raised and the rattle will be rattling. Rattlesnakes bite at about a distance of half or one-third of the length of their bodies. It is important to know what the symptoms of this bite are. Here are some of them:

• Your pulse will quicken.
• You will have difficulty in breathing.
• Your eyelids will start to droop.
• You will experience nausea and vomiting.

• There is a high possibility that the area of the bite will start to bleed.
• You will experience low blood pressure.
• You will experience a sensation of numbness and pain at the spot of the bite.
• You might even have a paralysis effect or temporary paralysis.

• You will feel tiredness and weakness.
• You might be faced with an acute thirst.
• You might have to deal with tissue damage.
• You will feel a sense of tingling and swelling around the area of the bite.

• Your skin might undergo change in color.
• You might experience dizziness.
• You will sweat excessively.
• There will be fang marks in your skin and the area around it will turn red.
• There is a chance that you might experience muscle in-coordination.
• You might have blurred vision.

It is important to know the procedure of first aid to follow. If the right care and treatment is followed, then the poison from the venom will not affect a person as much. The longer the treatment is delayed, higher doses of poison will spread into the body and could prove to be fatal as well. Here are some of the steps you should take for this bite treatment.

• Make sure to get away from the snake as fast as possible.
• Tell the patient to stay calm. This is very important.
• Make the patient lie down.
• Wash the area with a mild soap and water.

• Restrict the movement to nil if possible.
• Keep the affected area below the heart level to reduce the flow of venom into the body.
• Remove any tight-fitting clothes or accessories.

• Immobilize the bitten area with the help of a improvised splint. Make sure that it is not too tight so that there will be constant blood flow.
• Cover the area with a cool compress or a moist cloth to minimize the swelling. But never use an ice pack on the wound.

• Never cut open the wound to let the blood flow out or suck on the wound to get rid of the venom.
• Get medical help as quickly as possible.

• If medical help cannot be administered on time then make arrangements for some sort of a suction device like pumps. These are found in snakebite survival kits. Then using the pump suck out all the blood.

A bite from a rattlesnake can prove to be several notches more dangerous for dogs than it is for humans. The bite will lead to a lot of damage in the dog, so that he might never be the same again.

It is due to this reason that a rattlesnake vaccine is considered a very good option for dogs. These should be administered to all dogs, especially those that live in areas that house rattlesnakes or if one will be taking their dog for a nature trail and camping.

A rattlesnake vaccine for dogs is considered a better option than an antivenin because the latter is administered as a treatment and it may or may not be administered on time. Thus the effects may or may not be successful. A vaccine on the other hand will help in preventing any major damage to the dog.

If your dog has been bitten, you can follow the same procedure that you would in case of a bite in humans and administer the same care. Make sure that you get your dog medical help as soon as possible.

After reading this, even though you have a fairly good idea about rattlesnake bite treatment, prevention is the best bet. So make sure that you get an antivenin shot before you go out to places where the possibility of a rattlesnake is high.

Disclaimer - This story is for informative purposes only and does not in any way attempt to replace the advice offered by an expert on the subject.