Pet owners quick thinking saves dog from venomous snake bite
SEMINOLE, Fla. - Owners of a Seminole dog are breathing a sigh of relief two weeks after their dog was bitten by a venomous snake. The veterinarian says the owners quick-thinking helped save her life.
Dr. Ellen Buerkett, the owner of Beacon Emergency Veterinary Hospital, says it's the worst snake bite case she's ever seen. The swelling occurred rapidly to the point that five-year-old Ripley was unable to clot her blood, but they got her anti-venom in time.
Photos taken by her owners, Brian and Tatiana Ring, just moments after the bite, show swelling on the right side of Ripley's mouth. It was taken back on the evening of Wednesday, April 26.
"I was like,"OK, It's a bee sting, no big deal," She likes to chase flies and bees. I gave her Benadryl, didn't think anything of it. And then over the next five minutes, continued to swell, get bigger, and then she threw up," Ripley's owner Tatiana Wing said.
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By the time they got to the urgent care vet, the swelling had grown. They were told it was likely a snake bite and would need anti-venom. That's when they raced to Beacon Emergency Veterinary Hospital in St. Petersburg.
Ripley recovering from a snake bite.
"We saw evidence that we often see affiliated with a snake bite, so there was a puncture and blood, and it was super painful," Dr. Buerkett said.
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Dr. Buerkett says test results showed changes in Ripley's red blood cells that were consistent with that of a snake bite, so she started administering anti-venom.
"She actually had no platelets in her body, so we had to actually use two vials of antivenin and as well as a fresh frozen plasma to help her give her things so that she wouldn't bleed out internally, so it was essential that she got immediate care," Dr. Buerkett said.
By the morning of April 28, Ripley's condition had dramatically improved, and she was released to go home. Almost two weeks later, she is fully recovered and back to her normal self with the people who love her most.
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"She is just like our best friend and the household entertainment; we've got a little one on the way. We talk about her being a big sister and licking toes and faces, so it would have been devastating to lose her," Wing said.
For pet owners, the vet says the biggest factor with snake bites is response time. If you see any swelling or bite marks on your pet, don't waste time getting to the vet. Dr. Buerkett says in most cases, when pets don't make it, it's because of other health problems that develop because they didn't get treatment in time.
Ripley's owners advise other pet owners to figure out the closest 24-hour emergency vet hospital now, so you know exactly where to go in an emergency.