I got home at 3:30 and he was cold. I already knew it was too late. Partner said he’d seen a small lump on his leg at noon but no abnormal behavior.
At the vet they shaved his leg to find a vein but he had no blood pressure. He passed in my arms.
My question is, what is the process? What does the venom do? Why were his gums white and his foreleg black from his toes to his face?
In: Biology
Depends on the kind of snake and venom but judging by the gums ( pink gums healthy blood flow, pale gums anemia) it was a hemotoxin, a toxin that acts on the cardiovascular system and its cells.
Many toxins breakdown the vascular system/arteries that carries the cells or rupture the cells themselves or stop oxygen from binding to the red blood cells.
All these things stop the transportation of oxygen, a necessary ingredient for energy production.
The hard part is unlike neurotoxins, hemotoxins can take much longer to show symptoms.
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It’s really hard to say without knowing what kind of snake bit him. Different species of snake have different venoms.
In the USA, rattlesnakes are the cause of most venomous snake bites, so if you’re American, that’s the most likely snake. Once a venomous bite is received, the venom will spread through the body from the point of the bite. Generally, it only becomes fatal once the venom reaches an essential organ, or enough damage is done that life becomes impossible.
Rattlesnake venom does a few things to the body, but its most devastating effect is what it does to blood. Rattlesnake venom is a **haemorrhagin**, a chemical that destroys capillaries, damages veins/arteries, and destroys red blood cells.
So, the bite happens. The venom begins destroying the capillaries in the area around the bite. This means blood can no longer flow to that flesh, and with no access to fresh blood and oxygen, the flesh dies – this is called *necrosis*. Necrotic flesh turns black.
As it works up through the bloodstream, it continues to destroy blood vessels and red blood cells. The patient becomes anaemic quickly, as they can’t produce new red blood cells fast enough to replace the ones being destroyed.
Exact cause of death will vary a bit – could be extreme anaemia, could be the venom reaches an essential organ and it shuts down. If necrosis spreads fast enough, that could also be a cause of death.
I am so incredibly sorry for your loss! Pet death can be some of the worst grief we can experience. Please take some time for you and remember to be kind to yourself
There’s videos of what snake venom can do to blood. They mix a little with some blood and it very quickly turns to jelly, this blood is too thick to be moved by our blood vessels so would cause clots and block blood from reaching important places. It could also impede the heart’s function, as well as other organs.
Hence pale gums, a blood clot somewhere prevented fresh blood reaching his gums so once the ‘used’ blood moved on, none could replace it. As for skin going black afaik that’s a cold/perishing response from extended time without blood.
I’m so sorry for your loss
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