The Puppy Mag is an Amazon subordinate and earns a committee for qualifying purchases. More info
What happens if your canine eats a snake?
While it mightiness look far-fetched, our adventurous four-legged friends sometimes find themselves successful sticky situations involving nan wilder broadside of nature. And yes, this could see an brushwood pinch a snake.
This guideline will get correct into nan astir important factors owners must see correct distant if their canine eats a snake. This article covers everything.
Of course, if your canine is having an instant bad guidance aliases you person knowledge that nan snake was successful truth poisonous, discarded nary much clip and bring your canine an emergency veterinary center.
Included below:
➡️ Snake, location, toxicity, commonness table
➡️ Your Dog Ate a Snake: What Happens Next
➡️ 10 Most Venomous Snakes For Dogs
➡️ 7 Non-Venomous, Yet Common Snakes to Know

Snake, Venom Toxicity, Location, Commonness
This adjuvant array lists nan apical 10 astir venomous snakes for dogs compared to their location, commonness and toxicity levels.
Eastern Brown Snake | Very High | Australia | Very Common |
Inland Taipan | Extremely High | Central East Australia | Rare |
Mainland Tiger Snake | High | Australia | Common |
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake | High | Southeastern United States | Common |
Mojave Rattlesnake | Very High | Southwestern United States, Central Mexico | Fairly Common |
Death Adder | Very High | Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia | Common successful due habitats |
Black Mamba | Extremely High | Africa | Common successful due habitats |
Many-Banded Krait | Very High | East and Southeast Asia | Common successful due habitats |
Russell’s Viper | High | Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Southern China, Taiwan | Common |
Common Indian Krait | Very High | Indian Subcontinent | Common |
⭐ Key note: It’s important to statement that while immoderate snakes for illustration nan Inland Taipan person incredibly potent venom, encounters pinch humans (and pets) are uncommon owed to their distant habitats. Meanwhile, snakes for illustration nan Eastern Brown Snake aliases nan Russell’s Viper, mightiness beryllium much of a interest owed to their commonness successful populated areas, moreover if their venom is technically little potent.
Also retrieve that immoderate snake wound to a pet should beryllium treated arsenic a aesculapian emergency, sloppy of nan snake’s identity.
➡️ Note worthy: In general, location are acold much venomous and vulnerable snakes successful areas for illustration Australia, India, and Asia, than location are successful nan Americas. Less venomous snakes are listed further below.
Your Dog Ate a Snake: What To Consider Next
Let’s tally done 12 things owners must know/do adjacent aft their canine has eaten a snake. Of course, if you already person knowledge that nan snake was venomous, aliases your canine is visibly reacting, return them to a veterinary thief halfway immediately.
1. Initial Reactions and Dangers
The first point to understand is that not each snakes are created equal. There are some venomous and non-venomous snakes retired there. The type of snake your canine whitethorn brushwood tin greatly impact what happens next.
➡️ Non-venomous snake:
If your canine eats a non-venomous snake, it’s still imaginable for them to acquisition insignificant issues, chiefly owed to nan snake’s imaginable bacterial load aliases immoderate parasites it mightiness carry. These could lead to digestive upset, for illustration vomiting aliases diarrhea. However, nan awesome interest arises if nan snake successful mobility is venomous.
➡️ Venomous snake:
If your canine eats aliases moreover conscionable bites a venomous snake, they could beryllium exposed to perchance lethal venom. The venom could origin pain, swelling, and superior wellness problems. In specified cases, nan business becomes a aesculapian emergency.
2. Identifying a Snake Bite
You whitethorn not ever witnesser your dog’s brushwood pinch a snake, truthful it’s important to cognize nan signs of a snake bite.
➡️ These mightiness include:
- Swelling, typically astir nan look aliases cervix if that’s wherever your canine was bitten.
- Puncture wounds, often appearing successful pairs.
- Severe symptom astatine nan coiled site.
- Restlessness, whimpering, aliases different signs of distress.
- Labored breathing.
- Excessive drooling aliases foaming astatine nan mouth.
- Rapid aliases irregular heartbeat.
If your canine displays immoderate of these symptoms and you fishy a snake bite, it’s important to get to a vet immediately.
3. How to Respond
If you cognize aliases fishy your canine has eaten a snake, here’s what you should do:
Don’t Panic: It’s basal to enactment calm truthful you tin efficaciously thief your pet.
Check for Signs: Look for beingness signs for illustration those mentioned supra if you fishy a venomous snake.
Get to nan Vet: Regardless of nan type of snake, it’s champion to get your canine to nan vet ASAP. This is particularly urgent if you fishy a venomous snake, but moreover pinch a non-venomous one, your canine whitethorn still request curen for imaginable parasites aliases bacteria.
Don’t Try to Treat It Yourself: Home remedies aliases attempting to suck retired nan venom are not effective and tin moreover origin harm. Let nan professionals grip this situation.
My Dog Ate a Frog! What Happens Next
4. Preventive Measures
Prevention is amended than cure, right? Here are immoderate tips to trim nan chance of your canine having an brushwood pinch a snake:
- Keep your gait cleanable and clutter-free to discourage snakes from taking up residence.
- When stepping your dog, support them connected a leash and instrumentality to unfastened paths wherever you tin spot immoderate imaginable dangers.
- Train your canine to time off snakes alone. There are master snake avoidance training classes disposable successful galore areas.
- Always supervise your canine while they are outside, particularly if you unrecorded successful an area known for snake sightings.
- Be alert of nan seasons and times of time erstwhile snakes are astir active. They’re mostly much progressive successful nan warmer months and during early greeting and precocious day times.
- Consider a rattlesnake vaccine if you unrecorded successful an area pinch a precocious rattlesnake population. It tin thief to slow nan effects of a bite, giving you other clip to get to a vet. However, it doesn’t switch emergency vet care.

5. Post-Snake Encounter Care
Once your canine has had a snake brushwood and received nan basal vet care, it’s important to show them intimately for immoderate changes successful behaviour aliases health, and travel your vet’s aftercare instructions diligently.
If nan snake was venomous and your canine required anti-venom, they mightiness request further remainder and care. Ensure your canine is comfortable and effort to support them calm to debar raising their bosom rate, which could dispersed immoderate remaining venom successful their strategy much quickly.
Your vet mightiness prescribe antibiotics to forestall infection, particularly if nan snake was eaten and mightiness person introduced germs into your dog’s digestive system. Be judge to springiness your canine immoderate prescribed medicine arsenic directed.
6. Psychological Effects
While nan beingness wellness of your canine is paramount, don’t place nan imaginable psychological impact. A traumatic acquisition for illustration a snake brushwood could time off your canine emotion anxious aliases fearful. They mightiness grounds signs of stress, for illustration changes successful appetite, disrupted sleep, aliases abnormal behavior.
Give your canine tons of emotion and reassurance. If you announcement prolonged signs of stress, see seeking proposal from a master canine behaviorist.
7. Understand nan Local Snake Species
If you unrecorded successful an area wherever snakes are common, it’s adjuvant to cognize which type are prevalent. Are they mostly venomous aliases non-venomous? Your section wildlife work aliases a speedy net hunt tin supply useful information. Understanding nan section snake organization tin thief you gauge nan level of consequence for your dog.
8. Venomous Snake Bites and Symptoms
Each venomous snake type tin origin different symptoms. For instance, a rattlesnake wound often leads to drooling, trouble breathing, and neurological issues. A coral snake bite, connected nan different hand, whitethorn origin neurological problems for illustration shaking aliases tremors, and trouble pinch movement.
Knowing nan type tin thief pass you of nan symptoms to look retired for and pass your vet, which tin facilitate quicker treatment.
9. Consider Pet Insurance
Medical curen for snake bites tin beryllium expensive, particularly if nan snake was venomous. The costs of anti-venom, hospitalization, and follow-up attraction tin adhd up. Pet security could perchance thief offset immoderate of these costs. It’s worthy looking into if you unrecorded successful a high-risk area.
10. Vet Follow-ups
Even aft your canine seems to person recovered from a snake encounter, it’s a bully thought to schedule follow-up visits pinch your vet. They tin show your dog’s betterment and observe immoderate imaginable semipermanent effects of nan incident.
11. First Aid Training for Pet Owners
As a pet owner, it mightiness beryllium useful to person immoderate training successful pet first aid. Many organizations connection courses specifically tailored to pets, including really to woody pinch emergencies for illustration snake bites. It tin beryllium a valuable skill, giving you much assurance and power during a stressful situation.
12. Dog Safety Gear
If you and your furry friend emotion exploring nan outdoors, see investing successful immoderate canine information gear. Snake-proof boots aliases gaiters, and snake avoidance collars, tin adhd an other furniture of protection during your adventures.
By equipping yourself pinch this further information, you’ll beryllium moreover amended prepared to protect your canine from imaginable snake encounters. Remember, your vet is your champion assets for immoderate concerns aliases questions you person astir your pet’s health. Don’t hesitate to scope retired to them if you request help.
10 Most Venomous Snakes for Dogs
While nan effects of snake venom tin alteration depending connected nan size, breed, and wellness information of nan dog, nan pursuing snakes are mostly recognized arsenic having venom that is peculiarly vulnerable to dogs:
- Eastern Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis): Found successful Australia, this snake is highly venomous and is considered a awesome consequence to pets owed to its communal encounters successful municipality and suburban environments.
- Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus): Also known arsenic nan occidental taipan, this snake has nan astir toxic venom of immoderate snake worldwide. It’s autochthonal to cardinal eastbound Australia.
- Mainland Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus): This Australian snake’s venom contains a potent substance of neurotoxins, coagulants, haemolysins and myotoxins.
- Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus): This is nan largest venomous snake successful North America, and its venom tin beryllium fatal to dogs.
- Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus): Found successful nan deserts of nan southwestern United States and cardinal Mexico, this snake’s venom is considered to beryllium nan astir potent of each rattlesnake venoms.
- Death Adder (Acanthophis): Native to Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia, this snake’s venom contains highly toxic neurotoxin.
- Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis): Found successful parts of Africa, nan achromatic mamba’s venom is highly toxic.
- Many-Banded Krait (Bungarus multicinctus): This snake is recovered successful overmuch of East and Southeast Asia, and its venom is highly toxic.
- Russell’s Viper (Daboia russelii): Located successful Asia passim nan Indian subcontinent, overmuch of Southeast Asia, confederate China and Taiwan, its venom tin origin a assortment of superior symptoms.
- Common Indian Krait (Bungarus caeruleus): Found connected nan Indian subcontinent, nan venom of this snake is highly toxic.
7 Snakes Less Harmful for Dogs, Yet Still Common
There are respective type of snakes that are common, non-venomous, and airs little consequence to dogs.
Here are 7 examples:
- Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis): These snakes are communal crossed North America. They are harmless to dogs and humans, though they whitethorn merchandise a foul-smelling musk if threatened.
- Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus): Found successful nan southeastern United States, these snakes are often mistaken for nan venomous copperhead. However, maize snakes are non-venomous and are often kept arsenic pets owed to their docile nature.
- Eastern Rat Snake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis): These ample non-venomous snakes are recovered passim nan eastbound United States and are awesome astatine controlling rodent populations.
- Ball Python (Python regius): Native to sub-Saharan Africa, these snakes are commonly kept arsenic pets and are known for their docile nature.
- Rosy Boa (Lichanura trivirgata): These mini boas are recovered successful nan southwestern United States and Mexico. They are non-venomous and mostly airs nary threat to dogs.
- King Snake (Lampropeltis getula): King snakes are recovered successful nan United States and Mexico. They are non-venomous, and interestingly, are known to eat different snakes, including venomous ones.
- Common Boa (Boa constrictor): Native to Central and South America, these snakes are non-venomous and are known for their size and strength. They are often kept arsenic pets owed to their comparatively calm demeanor.
While these snakes are mostly harmless, immoderate snake tin wound if it feels threatened, and immoderate dogs whitethorn person allergic reactions to snake bites moreover if nan snake is non-venomous.
Conclusion
In nan end, while it mightiness beryllium a disturbing thought, a canine eating a snake isn’t a decease sentence. It does, however, require contiguous attraction and swift action connected your part. Remember that prevention is nan champion people of action, truthful return nan basal measures to trim nan chance of your canine encountering a snake. Should nan business originate contempt your champion efforts, enactment calm, enactment fast, and ever consult pinch a vet.
Your four-legged buddy depends connected you to thief navigate nan world safely. By knowing nan imaginable dangers of snake encounters and knowing what to do if 1 occurs, you’re well-prepared to support your pup safe and sound!
Remember, erstwhile successful doubt, ever interaction a master veterinarian. Their expertise is invaluable erstwhile it comes to nan wellness and information of your pet. Let’s support our furry friends safe, happy, and healthy!
Disclaimer
Before making immoderate decisions that could impact nan wellness and/or information of your dog, you should ever consult a trained veterinarian successful your section area. Even though this contented whitethorn person been written/reviewed by a trained veterinarian, our proposal to you is to always consult your ain section veterinarian successful person. For nan FULL disclaimer Visit Here
Content Protection Notice
The contented produced and published connected The Puppy Mag is unsocial and original. The Puppy Mag makes an progressive effort to hunt for plagiarized contented utilizing plagiarism discovery software. If plagiarized contented is found, action will beryllium taken.
