Garter snakes are thought to be just slightly venomous.
This means that while a bite from one could irritate you, it shouldn’t be harmful.
The way that your dog reacts to a garter snake encounter depends on how they handled the snake.
Your dog should be alright if they did not consume any snake parts.
Your dog will probably experience some swelling after being bitten by a garter snake, but other than that, he shouldn’t be in any danger.
If the swelling is too bad, take him to the vet right away for treatment.
Although they are neither deadly or hazardous, they do emanate a foul smell as a protection mechanism, and if your dog has a sensitive stomach, you may notice that they are not feeling well after an encounter.
Some dogs who come in contact with (or consume) a garter snake won’t experience any negative consequences and some might become ill.
Can snakes be around dogs?
Both are acceptable indoor pets, although snakes must be kept in an enclosure.
A dog and a snake should never be left alone, in my opinion.
Even if I were home, I wouldn’t let the dog access my snake area.
A predatory, fearful, or simply curious behavior on the part of one animal could result in unintended or intentional harm to the other animal.
I have observed some owners who, when closely watched, permitted their giant snakes to interact with other pets, but I have never had that level of confidence and wouldn’t advise it.
I have no idea how they assess that as safe, but they undoubtedly have a fallback strategy.
Do Garter snakes and dogs get along?
Garter snakes and dogs can get along
But you need to make sure your snake stays in their enclosure
I don’t see why they won’t get along as your dog won’t have access to the snake or your snake have access to your dog
A garter snake like being to themselves
Try to avoid taking your garter snake out from their enclosure in the same room as your dog
If you do want to do this, you need to be there and supervise
You can’t trust a snake with a dog or you have no idea what your dog might do
Will a dog eat a snake?
If a dog is truly hungry, sometimes they will eat anything.
However, I would be very surprised if a dog was so hungry they would eat a snake
Doesn’t sound normal right?
So I don’t think a dog would eat a snake
Additionally, some dog owners assert that some breeds would fight snakes as a defense mechanism, but they are skeptical about dogs really eating snakes, despite the fact that snakes can certainly consume dogs.
There is a very small possibility that eating a snake would make your dog unwell, so if you can, try to stop them from doing it.
In most cases, unless it’s an extremely toxic snake, a dog won’t feel sick after ingesting a snake, so if it does, talk to your veterinarian as soon as possible
What happens if my dog eats a snake?
There is a chance that dogs will become unwell from eating snakes, but the severity of the illness will depend on the type and health of the snake consumed.
In the event that the snake was poisonous but did not bite your dog, your dog will probably be immune to the poison.
When administered to the skin via a bite or sting, venoms are dangerous, but when ingested, they typically have no negative effects.
And if the snake is dangerous, on the other hand, eating it could leave your dog seriously ill or even dead.
The garter snake, which is not venomous but yet harbors toxins from the newts and salamanders it consumes, is an illustration of a deadly snake.
Even if the snake is not toxic or venomous, your dogs could still become ill if they eat it if it is a disease-carrier.
Snakes can carry parasites like the tapeworm Spirometra and the roundworm Gnathostoma as well as pathogens like Salmonella.
So if your dog has encountered a snake in the yard and ate it, you should take your dog to the vet asap just to make sure they are okay
