It was dusk and I heard my dog Ruby's distinctive "snake" bark before I realized that the buzzing I was hearing wasn't coming from the window air conditioner. With a buzz that loud, I knew Ruby had a large rattlesnake cornered. As I yelled to her to back off, I raced for a pair of tongs and a bucket I keep handy for such occasions, only to hear a loud "yelp" as the snake struck home.



It was a 36=inch female Western diamondback (Crotalus atrox), fat from a recent meal, coiled, angry, and full of fight. I grabbed the snake with the tongs, deposited it in the bucket, snapped the lid on, and raced off to find Ruby.

I found her curled under the covers on my bed. Pulling the sheet back, I could see a small amount of blood above her right eye where the snake's fangs had connected. It had already started swelling and oozing in less than five minutes. This was a "hot" bite, a bad one from a good-sized snake.

I immediately put my emergency protocols into action. With a rattlesnake bite time is often the deciding factor, so knowing where to go and who to call beforehand can save precious minutes and, maybe, a life. Scooping Ruby up and piling her into the truck, I raced to the nearest 24-hour animal hospital, the Heart Of Texas Veterinarary Clinic, more than 20 miles away.

Ruby was starting to feel the effects of the bite, and her head was swelling rapidly. She crawled into my lap as I impatiently watched the mile markers tick by. It seemed as if every slow driver had decided to park in my lane, no matter which lane I picked. I watched the digits on the clock seemingly race upward, while the mile markers slowed.

Finally reaching our exit, we pull up at a red light. After what seemed an interminably long time but in reality was but a few seconds, the light turned green. I punched the accerator and launched through the intersection, and in just a few more minutes was there.

Picking Ruby off my lap, I carried her through the door only to be met by the medical staff, ready to take Ruby back for immediate treatment. While I filled out forms, they gave Ruby a shot of morphine for the pain and began prepping her for an IV. After consulting with the vet we agreed on several courses of treatment depending on the direction her condition took.

And now the waiting begins.

Rubys's prognosis for recovery is good. She's a large dog, young, and in good health and shape. The bite was above the left eye so the fangs were unable to penetrate deeply, and there is little tissue in the immediate area to be impacted by necrosis. The primary worry is whether the necrosis will damage her eye, which only time will tell.

Ruby's treatment and recovery were helped immensely because I had a bite protocol plan in place for my dogs and was able to get medical attention quickly, less than an hour after her bite. If you live in a rural area having a plan in place beforehand can save your pet's life. The first step is to know where your local 24-hour emergency animal hospitals are, and keep their contact information handy.