Rattlesnakes can pose a serious threat not only to humans and small animals, but also to horses. Horses bitten by rattlesnakes have historically had a higher mortality rate compared to other species, but according to the results of a recent study, their chances for a recovery might be better than originally thought.

Because rattlesnake venom contains a mixture of natural products, a bite can cause numerous problems in horses including extensive tissue damage, coagulopathy (clotting abnormalities) and/or thrombocytopenia (low platelet counts) leading to bleeding disorders, cardiovascular toxicity (heart damage), and neurotoxicity (nerve damage).

A recent retrospective study led by Langdon Fielding, DVM, Dipl. ACVECC, of Loomis Basin Equine Medical Center (LBEMC) in Loomis, Calif., reviewed records of 58 equids that had received treatment for rattlesnake bites at either LBEMC or the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California, Davis, between 1992 and 2009. Fielding hoped to evaluate treatment and outcome in horses with rattlesnake envenomation