What Do I Do If My Cat Gets Bit By A Snake?

​Once at a hospital or clinic, prepare to answer questions about where and what kind of environment the cat might have been in at the time of bite. First things first, call the vet and tell him you are on the way to his office, even if you are 100% certain that the bite was not toxic. Once you get to your vet, the physician will try to determine whether or not the bite was venomous.
Even if it is determined that the bite was venomous, you should not panic yet. Unless you are an expert in snakes and witness a bite, it is best to consider any snake bite potentially venomous. Non-venomous snake bites to cats are far more common than those that are venomous, but those types of bites can still be dangerous.
Most pets recover with timely, proper care, but snake bites can be fatal. The good news is that most snake bites are very treatable if pets are treated promptly. The most important thing you can do if your pet is bit by a venomous snake is get him or her to the vet ASAP.
Knowing what to do when your pet is exposed to a snake -- venomous or not -- can help to ensure their safety and avoid an emergency room visit. 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 your dog or cat is bitten by a venomous snake, do not panic, but do go to a local vet as soon as you can.
It is also important to know that venomous snakes can require medical attention for vaccinated dogs, too. Cats, too, need immediate veterinary care to increase the chances of survival should they come across a venomous snake.

If the rattlesnake bites your pet, it is critical that you go to the vet immediately so that they can be given antivenom.
If you are certain that your cat has been bitten by the coral snake, your vet will search for a mark on its fangs to allow for immediate treatment of the bite, as well as to allow antivenom medications. After injecting the proper antivenom, then your veterinarian will proceed by checking your cats internal organs to see if any echoing effects are occurring as a result of the bite.
The vet will want to know anything about the snake, where the bite actually occurred, and where and for how long it was after the bite of your cat. Most pets will not need to be seen by the vet, unless you are not sure what kind of snake did the biting. It is useful to determine the snakes species in order to help the vet in treating it.
If you have seen these snakes in the wild, or you know that they are present in the area you live, you may be better prepared in case the unlikelihood of cat snake bites arises. Learn what to look out for, and how to treat your pet in the unlikely event of a bite. It is important to recognize that, as a pet owner, you cannot predict the results of a bite, and the one best thing you can do is to get your pet checked out immediately following a known or suspected bite.
All pets suspected of being bitten should be taken to a vet. Most pets who are bitten will require admission to a hospital for treatment, and some pets may have extensive areas of dead tissue which must be surgically removed over a period of 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 the majority of pets (90%) react highly favorable to treatment, prognosis is always guarded, and not all are recovered. It is estimated that more than 100,000 cases of venomous snakebite are likely each year among dogs and cats, and mortality rates range from 1% to up to 30%, depending on the pet size, snake species, and bite site. A venom testing kit, bloodwork, and cultures can be performed to identify the snake and determine treatment.