272 cases of rattlesnake envenomation in dogs: Demographics and treatment including safety of F(ab')2 antivenom use in 236 patients.

Medical records of 272 rattlesnake envenomations of canines from 5 veterinary emergency centers in Maricopa County, Arizona between 2010 and 2012 were investigated. The objectives were to examine the patient demographics, severity of clinical signs, and treatment modalities employed, in order to discuss the outcomes of certain therapies including glucocorticoid use, antibiotic use, rattlesnake vaccination, and safety of antivenom administration in dogs. Evaluation was performed to model each response (survival, proposed canine snakebite severity score (cSSS), and length of stay) as a function of multiple variables.