05/29/2026
We want to address the recent community discussion about rattlesnake bites in pets and the availability of antivenom in Medicine Hat.
Our position is not that rattlesnake bites are insignificant. They are painful, unpredictable, and can become serious. Any suspected rattlesnake bite should be treated as urgent, and pet owners should contact a veterinary clinic immediately for direction.
Antivenom is a biologic product made from antibodies that neutralize venom. The available veterinary rattlesnake antivenom product is equine-origin, meaning the antibodies are collected from horses immunized against specific pit viper venoms, including prairie rattlesnake venom. While reported adverse reactions are uncommon, they can include allergic-type reactions, vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure, or changes in breathing. This is why antivenom administration requires appropriate monitoring and the ability to respond if a reaction occurs.
Our position is also not that antivenom has no role in veterinary medicine. In appropriate cases, antivenom may be part of treatment. However, antivenom is not a simple medication to “just have on the shelf.” It requires clinical judgment, patient selection, financial consultation, IV administration, ongoing monitoring, and the ability to respond quickly if complications occur.
At this time, Cypress View Veterinary Clinic does not carry or administer antivenom. This decision has been made after long-standing and ongoing discussion, review, and consideration of what we believe we can provide safely and responsibly within our facility. Because we do not provide 24-hour hospitalization, we feel that patients who may require antivenom are better served by referral to a hospital equipped for continuous monitoring and emergency support.
We recognize that it is frustrating and disappointing that Medicine Hat does not currently have a 24-hour veterinary hospital. We share that frustration. This is part of a larger conversation about veterinary staffing shortages, after-hours care, emergency medicine, and the resources required to safely operate a continuously staffed facility. Until that level of care is available locally, referral remains an important part of all responsible emergency planning.
We are aware of educational infographics and treatment algorithms circulating online regarding North American pit-viper envenomation. We agree that these resources can contain helpful general principles, including the importance of urgent veterinary assessment, monitoring for progression, and recognizing when antivenom may be indicated.
However, broad North American pit-viper guidance is not the same as a location-specific veterinary treatment mandate. These resources are designed to apply across a wide range of species (including all rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths (aka water moccasins)), regions, venom profiles, antivenom products, hospital types, and referral systems. Medicine Hat’s local risk profile, available veterinary infrastructure, after-hours capacity, and access to referral care must all be considered when deciding what a clinic can safely offer.
We must encourage pet owners to interpret online medical infographics with caution. They may be useful educational tools, but they cannot account for every patient, every region, every clinic’s staffing model, or every owner’s circumstances. Veterinary decisions are made case by case, in real time, with the patient in front of us.
Our local concern is prairie rattlesnake exposure. That does not mean bites are harmless, and we do not treat them casually. It does mean that treatment decisions should be based on the individual patient, clinical progression, available monitoring, owner circumstances, and the safest realistic care pathway.
For our clinic, that pathway is assessment, stabilization and supportive care where appropriate, discussion with the owner, and referral for antivenom or higher-level monitoring when indicated. We believe this is a responsible medical position.
Family Pet Hospital in Lethbridge has antivenom availability and may be contacted regarding snakebite cases. Because availability, staffing, and case acceptance can change, please contact them for direction before travelling.
We understand that people want the best possible care for their pets. We do too. Veterinary medicine often involves balancing ideal treatment, patient safety, available resources, cost, travel, risk, and the individual patient’s condition. A clinic choosing not to offer a specific treatment does not mean that clinic does not care, is dismissing the condition, or is refusing to help.
We ask that community conversations about this issue remain respectful toward veterinary teams. Front-desk staff, technicians, assistants, and veterinarians are often managing urgent cases, emotional conversations, and difficult medical decisions in real time. Questions are welcome, but pressure campaigns and public shaming do not improve patient care.
For further questions or discussion regarding our clinic’s position on this topic, please direct communication to the management team at Cypress View Veterinary Clinic by emailing [[email protected]]. This helps ensure questions are received by the appropriate decision-makers and allows our front-line team to remain focused on patient care.
Our goal remains the same: to support pets and their families with honest guidance, appropriate emergency care, and referral when a patient’s needs exceed what we can safely provide in our setting.
If your pet is bitten or suspected to have been bitten by a rattlesnake, please seek veterinary advice immediately. Keep your pet calm, restrict movement, do not apply ice or a tourniquet, and do not attempt home treatment.
TL;DR:
Rattlesnake bites are urgent and serious. Antivenom can be an important treatment in appropriate cases, but it requires IV administration, monitoring, and emergency preparedness. Because Medicine Hat does not currently have 24-hour veterinary hospitalization and our clinic cannot provide that level of monitoring, Cypress View Veterinary Clinic does not carry or administer antivenom. We assess, stabilize, provide supportive care where appropriate, and refer for antivenom or higher-level care when indicated.
