Dog got a snake bite. Any advice?

[Rice]

He's a 2 year old lab mutt. We let him run in the brush a few minutes each day for excercise and to help keep the rabbits on their toes.

Today he limped out of the weeds and fell over. All we really have around here are copperheads, the vet said she doesn't like using anti-venum because of other possible side effects. He's home now, in pain, but sleeping, and we're supposed to be fine if the next 24 hours are okay.

My heart already hurts for all the other folks on here that have lost their pups. I'm not ready to go through the same pain. Anyone else have this happen and have any advice?

Bite was on the paw, now a swollen oozing raw flesh mess.

 

[tcb]

Do what the doc says. I can't believe that they didn't want to use anti venom.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Cruisin'Carolina]

Are you sure it was a copperhead? It was my understanding that we have a few rattlers around here as well....(I'm not native)

I'm not a vet, so I don't know why the vet is saying what she is......

There is nothing she can do?

 

[NorCalDoug]

I'm really sorry to hear that.
Just keep him comfortable.

 

[Cruisin'Carolina]

Call another for a second opinion?

 

[DBAX]

I can't say much about copperheads, but I've seen a couple of dogs bitten here in AZ by Western Diamondbacks.. Aspirin, fresh cold compress (keep the bite area clean and dressed, Neosporin, etc.), and as stated, just let 'em rest. I haven't seen a bite kill a dog over 20# yet.
Good luck

 

[wob]

don't sweat it. dogs are tough.

 

[rgsiii]

I had a couple of Setters bitten at one time and they did well with just some steroids, antibiotics and IIRC Benadryl. It looked very bad for a few days and there was some skin sluffing on one.

Antivenom for humans has some definite risks of allergic reactions and is expensive. I assume it is the same for dogs.

 

[Rice]

I had a couple of Setters bitten at one time and they did well with just some steroids, antibiotics and IIRC Benadryl. It looked very bad for a few days and there was some skin sluffing on one.

Antivenom for humans has some definite risks of allergic reactions and is expensive. I assume it is the same for dogs.

This sounds similar to what the vet said. From the web it appears copperheads have a weaker venum than other snakes and that our largest concern will be of secondary infection caused by deep fangs and bacteria from the snake's mouth. She gave him a steroid and pain killer along with antibiotics for the week. Seems the only other medication necessary was something to calm my nerves.

Thanks all. Will report back.
Rice

 

[flintknapper]

don't sweat it. dogs are tough.

Yup,

My lab absolutely hated snakes. Was bitten on three different occasions by copperheads. Other than some fairly severe swelling and a temporary abscess at the site of the bite, there was no permanent or telling damage.

A rattlesnake bite would likely be more severe depending upon the amount of invenomization. You might expect some tissue loss from a R-snake as well.

As wob said, dogs are tough and if he/she were going to have an anaphyactic reaction it would have happened in the first ten minutes.

Hope all works out well.

 

[Red Herring]

I'm with Rice. Sounds like your dog will pull through the venom, but make sure you treat the bite itself. Keep the wounds nice and clean. I would shave the area, scrub it down, keep it clean, and get a course of antibiotics into your pooch.

 

[JRFJ4-]

snake bites

I had a buddy who was a big coon hunter. He had dogs get bit on several occasions. He would just give them a couple of shots of penicillin.

They would swell up and look terrible, but they get over fairly quickly.

Dogs are tougher than we are.

JR

 

[flintknapper]

I had a buddy who was a big coon hunter. He had dogs get bit on several occasions. He would just give them a couple of shots of penicillin.

They would swell up and look terrible, but they get over fairly quickly.

Dogs are tougher than we are.

JR

The last time my Lab was bitten, it was on the muzzle near his nose. The swelling in this case was terrible. I would tell you that his head swelled up to the size of a football...but the NORMAL size of his head was like a football.. (blockhead lab).

Anyway, he had "slits" for eyes and there were no clearly defined contours of his head, just a couple of ears hanging off of a big brown mass of fur. Kinda like someone put an air valve on his head and then inflated it. Man, I felt bad for him.

I had to remove his collar, as I was afraid the swelling would spread to his neck. Overnight the swelling subsided to the point that you could barely tell he had been bitten at all. Amazing!