This series is designed to help guide you through the important decisions about first aid, as well as how and when to transport your pet quickly and safely to a veterinary hospital or emergency facility. Try to keep it at or below the level of the heart. It is sometimes helpful to identify the type of snake. Snakebite is a complex problem. The severity and type of damage done by venom depends on the type of snake involved.
Some snakes have venom that causes severe shock and rapid death.
Others have most of their effect on the muscles. Some venom is very concentrated and some require large quantities before damage is done. The first goal in snakebite treatment is to keep the venom from circulating in large quantity throughout the body. Antivenom administered at the hospital is the most direct and helpful treatment for your pet. If your pet is bitten by a snake, assume the bite is poisonous and seek veterinary attention quickly.