Owner's Warning After Dog 'Very Lucky' to Survive Venomous Rattlesnake Bite

A woman has warned other dog owners about the dangers of snake bites after her Australian terrier found himself on the receiving end of a mottled rock rattlesnake.

Rhonda Ecker shared a post on Facebook's Dogspotting Society to show the terrifying results after Archer was bitten in the neck. The wound required treatment and overnight observation at the vets.

If a dog is bitten by a rattlesnake, immediate treatment is required to administer antivenin and possible treatment for shock. VCA Animal Hospitals experts say venomous snake bites are medical emergencies. If treatment isn't found straight away, then it can be fatal.

Archer loves chasing wildlife outside his home in Texas, so when Ecker heard him screech in April 2022, she thought he had just found another lizard. However, it wasn't long before Archer started vomiting, foaming and struggling to breathe, so Ecker got him seen by a vet immediately.

The vets gave Archer antivenom and kept him in overnight, leaving Ecker hoping that her pup pulled through. When she was able to see Archer the next day, she couldn't believe how swollen his face and neck were after the bite.

"We live in a rugged mountain area, and he was more than likely bitten by a mottled rock rattlesnake," Ecker told Newsweek.

"They are small, but they pack a punch. Archer came slinking back to the house, and I thought he got poked by a cactus or something," Ecker added. "A few minutes later, we realized he was having difficulty breathing, started foaming from his mouth and vomiting. Then the pain truly set in.

"When we got to the vets, they gave us two options: take antivenin, which was about $700, and spend the night under observation with morphine; or do nothing and see if he survives. We chose the obvious and had him treated," said Ecker.

As Archer weighs only 17 pounds, he needed a strong dose of antivenom to counter the poison that was in his system. Given the swelling in his face and neck, Ecker believes that must be where he was bitten. However, the vets said that, if Archer had been bitten near his chest, then he wouldn't have survived.

Thankfully, after Archer's overnight stay and with the help of some antibiotics, the swelling decreased, and he made a full recovery.

It was a few months later that Ecker found a snake living under her porch. She assumed was the same one that bit poor Archer.

Ecker said: "We didn't find the snake at the time, but in the fall, there was one living under the screen porch. I was able to capture it and relocate it to a more remote spot half a mile away.

"I suspect it was the same one because the territory isn't that large, and we relocate a snake about once a year," Ecker added. "If anyone has the opportunity to do snake-avoidance training, then it is well worth it."

Although the incident took place in 2022, Ecker wrote on Facebook on March 7 to highlight that Archer was "very lucky" to survive. However, this isn't always the case.

With the weather turning warmer and wildlife coming into the open, Ecker hopes to make others in warm climates wary of the danger the reptiles pose: "spring is here and the snakes are out!"

The warning came as a welcome gesture to many. One person commented on the post: "I'm getting my pups snake trained this weekend. We live in [Arizona] so figured was worth it to train them as a preventative."

Another person shared their relief that Archer pulled through: "He's a little guy, I'm so glad he's doing okay!"

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