‘Most severe snake bite’: Owner shares heartbreaking ending after dog’s backyard encounter

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -

EDITOR’S NOTE: Several days after WCTV published this story, Bellavigna shared on GoFundMe that Ryver’s infection “was much worse than anyone had realized” after a CT scan at a follow-up visit.

“Continuing treatment would have meant additional surgeries and procedures, several months of recovery, and life-altering changes with no guarantee of what her quality of life would be afterward,” he wrote.

Ryver was put down Sunday, Sept. 6. “This was one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to make,” Bellavigna wrote.

WCTV is keeping the following story and attached video as-is, to serve as a PSA for dog owners as Bellavigna originally intended.

ORIGINAL STORY:

It’s been a terrifying few days for a local dog owner after his young golden retriever is recovering from a rattlesnake.

Now, Quinntin Bellavigna is hoping his story helps other pet owners.

“She walked in, I heard her whimpering, so I came out of my shop and saw blood all over her paw,” Bellavigna said.

It was a typical Saturday in the Florida sunshine for Bellavigna and his one-year-old pup Ryver, but it went horribly wrong when Ryver returned from a romp through the back yard whimpering.

“She started drooling. Her eyes started to swell up really fast,” Bellavigna said. “I was like, oh shoot, like, something bad. We’re probably dealing with a snake so we gotta go.”

He raced to get from their wooded Havana area home to the emergency vet.

“She was one of the most severe snake bites we’ve seen. We were pretty worried about her,” veterinarian Dr. Kathleen Cavell said.

Ryver had a snakebite directly in the eye.

Dr. Cavell at Northwood Animal Hospital got to work right away. “Soon as she got here, we got an IV in place, we got some blood work running to see the severity of her condition and then we got treatment going,” Cavell said.

Crucial anti-venom aimed to stop life-threatening swelling is most effective if administered within a few hours of the bite.

“The swelling definitely got worse before it got better. Her head was about the size of a watermelon,” Bellavigna said.

Ryver’s life was on the line as her body fought the venom and after an agonizing few days, they saw results.

“Her swelling went down a lot. I mean, we both kind of cried a little bit,” Bellavigna said. “We were happy to see her kind of looking more like Ryver, like our dog that we remember.”

Ryver returned home Wednesday.

“She was really lucky to have pulled through with such a severe version of it,” Cavell said.

For now, she’s resting, but surgery and the loss of her right eye is almost a certainty.

Bellavigna is hoping other pet owners listen to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to them.

“Just because you mow your grass short does not mean that you’re not going to have any snakes,” he said. “You really got to keep an eye on your kids and our dogs. You just never know where there’s going to be a snake at, pretty much.”

This backyard scare turned into a vital PSA. Cavell shared symptoms to look out for in your pet.

“So, if you’ve got anything leaking blood or looking really swollen, I would get them in right away in case it’s a snake bite,” Cavell said.

Happier, tail-waggier days are hopefully on the horizon for sweet Ryver.

April through October are considered the more active months for snakes and Cavell said she sees a lot of snake bite patients at the animal hospital.

Bellavigna said he’s heard from a bunch of local pet owners about their own snake bite ordeals since sharing his story in a GoFundMe created to help pay rising vet costs.

To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Nextdoor and X (Twitter).

Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here to get started.