The North Kenilworth staff would like to remind you to be on the lookout for rattlesnakes while walking or hiking  with your dog in the great Arizona outdoors.

Unfortunately, snakes can and do still attack pets, so here’s what you need to do to insure the best outcome for your pet:

• Try to identify the snake by noting its size, color pattern, and whether or not there is a rattle at the end of its tail.
• Restrict movement of the dog.
• Look the dog over carefully for fang marks, noting that there may be more than one bite wound.
• If bitten on a leg, loosely immobilize the limb in a functional position.
• Do NOT incise the bite wound to aspirate the venom.
• Do NOT apply a tourniquet without veterinary assistance.
• Do NOT apply ice to the area.
• Travel to the nearest animal hospital quickly while keeping your dog as quiet as possible.

We know this is going to be a scary situation, but try and stay as calm as possible. If you’re calm, then your pet will be calm, which helps the clinic do the best job it knows how to help your pet.