​Unless you are an expert in snakes, and have witnessed the biting, you are best off treating every snake bite as potentially fatal. Most pets should not see a vet, unless you are not sure what kind of snake was responsible for the bite. It is also important to know that venomous snakes can also require veterinary treatment for dogs who are bitten.
The most important thing you can do if your pet is bitten by a venomous snake is get him or her to the vet ASAP. If your dog or cat is bitten by a venomous snake, do not panic, but do go to your local vet as quickly as you can. Knowing what to do when your animal is exposed to a snake -- venomous or not -- can help to ensure their safety and avoid emergency care.
As you can imagine, having a venomous snake bit you or your cat is a traumatic, possibly fatal, experience, which is why being mindful of your surroundings and following the tips in this post are critical in keeping your pet safe. If you are planning on having your dog out on a leash in an area that has venomous snakes, consider signing up for snake-bite prevention training. Contact us right away if you suspect that your dog (or another pet) has been exposed to a venomous snake bite.
It is important to recognize that, as a pet owner, you cannot anticipate the results of a bite, and the only best thing you can do is to get your pet checked out promptly following a known or suspected bite. First things first, call your vet and tell them that you are on the way to their office, even if you are 100% certain the bite is not toxic. Once you get to your vet, the physician will try to determine whether or not the bite was venomous.

After administering the proper antivenom, the vet will continue by checking the interior of the cats body to determine whether or not the bite had a loud impact. For non-venomous stings, the veterinarian will ask that you keep a close eye on the area where you were bitten during a healing period of approximately 3-5 days to ensure that your wound is healing properly and regenerating tissue. If bites are left untreated, over 2 to 3 days, your body functions will break down, and a bite can cause serious damage to organs or death.
In dogs that are bitten by a non-venomous snake, swelling and bruises around the bite are the most common clinical signs. After these signs, the snakes bite site may blacken and die of the venom, causing other severe complications. If your cat has been bitten by a snake, he or she can begin exhibiting some symptoms.
Your cat might attack in pain and require care, particularly if the bite is on the face and is swelling. Even if a venomous bite is confirmed, there is no need to panic right now. There will be considerable pain, but how much venom is released will dictate how severe the bite is.
Fortunately, it is possible for venomous snakes to bite without releasing any venom (dry bites are found in approximately 20%-30% of pit viper bites, and in approximately 50% of all coral snake bites). Of all the snakes encountered in the U.S., approximately 10% are venomous. It is estimated that more than 100,000 venomous snakebite cases happen each year in dogs and cats, with fatality rates of one to as high as 30 percent, depending on the pets size, snake species, and location of bite.
About 300,000 dogs and cats are bitten by venomous snakes in the United States every year, and prevention, protection, and treatment are critical. Most pets recover with timely, proper care, but snake bites can be fatal. Snake bites are fatal, extremely painful, costly to treat, and may result in permanent damage, even when a dog does survive, which is why it is important to be aware of these facts.
Some snake bites are so bad, that even after treatment, the animal does not survive, but given fast, this can be a really great aid to survival. Many pets exposed to the human antivenin will have severe allergic reactions to it, while in contrast, many pets that are bitten by snakes recover completely without treatment. One final comment, There is a rat-snake vaccine now available, but this is no guarantee of safety, and indeed pets that are bitten might still need antivenin treatment.
If you are certain your cat has been bitten by the coral snake, your vet will check for the markings on the fangs to be treated immediately, and so that you can give the antivenom medication. Once you get to the clinic, your pet will be given pain medications, IV fluids, and the area your pet was biting will most likely be shaved. Most pets who are bitten will require admission to a hospital to be treated, and some pets may have extensive areas of dead tissue that will require surgical cleaning for days to weeks.
There are higher mortality rates in dogs who are bit in the tongue or breast, and in pets that have had a longer delay between when they were bitten and when they were treated by their veterinarian. Although extremely toxic, coral snakes cannot release their venom completely with one bite, and full venom infusion requires a process similar to choking, as well as a relatively lengthy bite. Although their venom is the most toxic of all the snakes found in the U.S., these snakes have small fangs and have to chew through a victim in order to inject the venom; according to some experts, only 40% of bites will result in an injection.

f you are wondering whether or not your dog needs medical attention, call a veterinarian and describe the situation. If your dog is showing any of these non-emergency symptoms, and you are still wondering about whether or not you should take your dog to the vet, go with your gut instinct. 
Signs of severe trauma, shock, and bloating are all signs your pet needs to be seen by an emergency vet right away. Extreme pain is also a legitimate reason for taking your pet to the emergency veterinarian.
Breathing problems can be signs of medical emergencies for dogs, and you should bring your pet to an  vet right away if you notice they are struggling to breathe. Fireworks, storms, and visits to the vet may all result in dogs having rapid breathing, and may even hyperventilate. If your dog is breathing abnormally, has blue or purple gums, or is swelling in his face, mouth, or throat, you should go to a veterinarian right away.
If your dog is collapsing from vomiting, or seems to be losing any water, go to the vet immediately. If your dog has been vomiting for over 24 hours, and it is accompanied by dehydration, get veterinary care right away. If your dog is repeatedly passing out loose stool or vomiting, contact your vet immediately.

A dog who is only vomiting several times, or has been having loose stools for a brief time, might simply need a break. A dog that vomits only once or has one loose bowel movement might need no treatment except a few hours to let his stomach rest and a day or two of plain meals. Dogs that go one or more days without eating are almost always ill.
Two days without eating is an obvious indication your dog needs a checkup. It is a judgement call, but if your dog stops eating all of a sudden, it may be a sign something is off. If your dog is not getting any weight at all in his legs, that is a red flag.
No matter your dogs size; a sudden loss of weight is troubling, and a reason to get the dog checked by the veterinarian. Sudden Weight Loss Even with overweight dogs, sudden weight loss should be the trigger for taking them to the vet. If your dog is losing weight by 10%, alert the vet.
Weight changes may indicate other worrisome health conditions, like diabetes, hypothyroidism, or Cushings disease, which your dogs vet can evaluate. 
If you notice your dog is suffering from pain in any way that is not improving, your vet can help you find the cause and cure it. No one wants to see their favorite pet suffer, so your veterinarian will provide suggestions for helping your dog feel better, and make sure that there is not any medical condition that you need to be concerned about. Your vet will prescribe medications to treat infections or injuries, or ease your dogs conditions.
Your vet can also prescribe medications that will make your dog comfortable if you are trying to identify a cause for allergies, as you might need to go through an elimination process. Your vet will examine your pets mouth and might suggest either changing their diet or having a dental procedure to clean their teeth and remove those causing the pain. Your vet will probably want you to keep an eye on your dog for signs of infections or contagious diseases (especially rabies), which can spread by bites from animals.
The vet will ask questions about vomiting or diarrhea, as well as any changes in the behavior or health of your animal, so be prepared to give them as much information as possible. If your pet is not eating or drinking at all, or you have noticed a rise in appetite or water intake, you will want to call and schedule an appointment to see your veterinarian immediately. If you think that your pet has been sleeping more, is not being active, or is acting differently, that could be an indication that he is not doing well, and needs an examination from the veterinarian.
Since your dog cannot alert you to problems, you are responsible for looking for any warning signs your dog is feeling unwell and needs to be seen by a vet. If the dogas infection doesnat seem to get better, despite your efforts, then itas time to visit the vet. When your dog is injured or does not seem well, it can be difficult to decide whether to take him or her to the vet, or to wait and watch his or her condition progress.
Your dog may just feel hurt or tired as the weather gets warmer, but if this continues for more than two days, you should take your dog to the vet. If several seizures occur in a 24-hour period, or your dog has an epileptic fit lasting longer than a few minutes, call the vet immediately. Once the seizures are over, keep your dog warm and call your primary care vet for guidance.
If your dog is having an epileptic seizure, do not try to snare the animal. I should also reiterate that, if you cannot tell whether or not your dog needs immediate care, taking them in is always the safest option. If the dogs skin is burned, blistered, or seems extremely itchy, bring the dog in for an emergency veterinarian.
If your dog is showing visible signs of distress, like yelling, panting, drooling, or profoundly limping, do not allow your dog to suffer unnecessarily. If your adult dog has a bout of diarrhea or vomiting once or twice, then seems to rebound without any further symptoms, it might not be an emergency.

We will help keep your cat happy and healthy with our preventative services. Keeping your cats vaccinations and other preventative care up-to-date will help to ensure that your cat is protected against a wide range of diseases. No matter your pets age, speak to your animal health provider about shots and preventative care for cats and dogs.
Read on for helpful tips for new cat parents, as well as for anyone looking to brush up on pet-care skills. 
Fortunately, indoor cats are used to being taken care of (and loved), but there are some things that you as the pet parent can do to help ease the burden on your indoor cat.
To do this right, being a cat parent is going to mean giving your cat plenty of love, care, and attention. Follow these tips to ensure that your cat is happy throughout its lifespan. Your cat brings so much joy into your life, you want to give them the best possible care.
While your cat might hate going to the vet, regularly visiting for well-being makes her happier in the long run. In addition to taking your pet in for regular wellness checks at their veterinarian, there are many things that can be done at home to ensure your dog or cat is living life to its fullest.
Your pet cannot tell you if anything is off, so taking your dog or cat to the vet regularly is important. Simply taking your pet to the vet for an examination can reveal any medical problems that may exist with your cat.

change your cats litter daily and keep litter out of the area where food is prepared and eaten. To ensure that your cats litter box is kept as clean as possible, scoop waste out every day and completely replace litter each week. Keep in mind, cats will not use a dirty, smelly litter box, so scoop out the solid waste from the box at least once per day.
You will want to keep clean, fresh water available at all times, and clean and re-fill the cats water bowl every day. While most cats are able to obtain the necessary water from eating wet food, some cats will not drink enough, so you may have to encourage them to drink fresh water.
Dogs and cats who are mostly dry-food eaters require more water than those who are on a wet/canned-food diet. Something that a cat would typically eat in the wild--a mouse, for example--is approximately 70% water, whereas canned food is 78% water. Give your cat access to fresh water at all times, and you might notice cats drinking more as they consume more dried food.
Pets need to drink water to keep them healthy, but keeping a hydrated pet is difficult. Cats and dogs need varying amounts of water depending on their age, size, general health, and diet, so they must always have access to fresh, clean water, day or night. We have put together some useful tips for dogs and cats hydration so that you can keep your furry friends healthy throughout the year.
We want to help you properly care for your pets, and provide tips to keep all pet owners as healthy and happy as possible. We can help you find the right diet for your cat, as well as identify whether or not they need additional supplements.
You might also consider getting your cat microchipped, which will make finding him or her easier in the event that he or she does run away. For indoor or outdoor cats, either a name tag or implanted microchip could help to make sure that your cat is returned should he or she ever get lost. Having a pet can be a wonderful thing for you, as long as you are able to meet your pets needs.
By feeding the right amounts to your pets, and making sure that you are getting quality products, you can help ensure that your pets are getting the nutrients they need, and you will prevent them from getting too fat, which prevents obesity-related problems. Feeding healthy treats to your cat can help them reach and stay at their ideal weight.
Because cats spend so much time grooming, some owners might not realize brushing is something that can help their pets by getting rid of loose hair. While cats mostly groom themselves, you need to groom dogs on a regular basis. Most cats remain relatively clean and rarely require a bath, but you should brush or comb your cat regularly.
Brushing or combing your cat every day will reduce hairballs, which can form in the digestive tract. Frequent brushing helps keep your cats coat clean, decreases shedding, and decreases the incidence of hairballs. Regularly brushing your cats will not only keep their coats clean, it will reduce the incidences of hairballs that they suffer from.
Keeping your cat happy and healthy starts with some simple tips - a few that you can implement in your cats routine now.