Snakebite

W

WJC01

Joined
Mar 3, 2006
Messages
1,152
One of my dogs got bit by a copperhead last night on a hike.
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Note enlarged paw.
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After carrying dog home I googled dog care for snakebite. Anti-venon is not used for copperhead bites and the overwhelming responses from various forums was Benadryl and a couple days of rest.
Dog was laying around all day and now is already walking around.
The snake is not.
Bill


Note: "Tool" in pic is the RMJ ShrikeS13
 
Glad to read he is up and around already. I hike the horse/hiking trails around my home with my dogs, I am always on the lookout for rattlesnakes. Where I live the majority of poisonous snakes are Southern Pacific rattlesnakes, my dogs weigh about 24lbs each and would more than likely die from a bite. I always carry benadryl in my pack, but its more for bee stings.
 
When I was researching I read of a guy in Texas who said his bulldog was bitten 10x this year by rattle snakes- 3x in one week!
My dog-the victim(actually my kids dog) weighs in at 24 lbs. They are tougher than I thought.
 
Dogs are incredibly good at taking copperhead bites. Not sure why, but they don't need near the amount of attention as other snake species/dog related bites. Its due to the mild venom, but still, they deal with it like a champ.
 
My dog got bit by a copperhead a few years ago too and it was definitely a wet bite based on the pain and swelling. Gave him Benadryl and he was fine the next day. Although a little more gun-shy about sticking his nose places for several weeks afterwards.

My understanding too is the copperhead venom is not as potent as other pit vipers. And I don't think the anti-histamine does much, but it doesn't hurt.
 
We used to always give our dogs a couple of reg strength aspirin after they tangled with a copperhead. I hope your pooch has a speedy recovery.
 
My friends Dave and Ted say the bites really hurt if you don't take antivenom, neither of them had it. My friend Kate said with the antivenom it wasn't too bad. Crofab.
 
Glad to see your dog is OK. Where I live I have had to kill 2 water moccasins (both over 5') and an eastern diamondback in the last week.

I say had to because I wasn't going to relocate them, and there were kids and pets around.
 
The wife's beagle took a hit by a venomous snake in UT. The dog suffered massive swelling (chest ballooned till it was nearly touching the ground).

After treatment by vet with steroids, they had to take out the dogs spleen?

Dog survived.
 
Glad to here the pup OK Bro!!! Also glad there is one less snake. Lost one of our cats to a snake bit back down in TX in 1994, lost another to what we feel was an owl back in 1998 up here in Alaska. Again glad things have turned out for the better.
 
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