Snake Bite

[Volfan]

Got a call last night on my way to work and my daughter said that my six month old pup had got bitten by a snake and his face was swollen on both sides of his nose. Just wondering if y'all think he will be ok till I can get home. Going to be about twelve hours since he was bitten.

[scootersjill]

Should be as long as it wasn't a rattler.

[Volfan]

Thanks for the reply. At least somebody cares about other people's dogs. Thought this would be a good place to get some help on what to do but I guess not. Kind of new to this so it was my first snake bite but luckily a guy I work with knew what to do so he is doing fine.

[NCSportsman]

A small dose of Benadryl and the dog should be fine if it wasn't a rattler...

[johns03272008]

Take his collar off of him if he has one one to swelling won't choke him and dose of children's allergy benedryl. Never had this happen but this came from someone who has had dogs bitten

[Volfan]

Thanks guys. I gave him the benadryl and some gatorade and the swelling is already going down. was worried because he was just a pup but he must be tough because he has acted like nothing is wrong with him plus he is still eating good. Think he will be fine. Thanks.

[Rowco Beagle Kennels]

With so many snakes in eastern NC we try to keep a snake bite kit when hunting this time of year to save the dog until we can get to the vet. We have had it work even on rattlers but have lost some to big rattlers. We simply keep benedryl and a bottle of dex. We get the dex from the vet and keep it refrigerated. We keep a needle with a cc in the cooler in the summer. Like I said, big rattlers are deadly sometimes no matter what but it gives the dog a fighting chance. On copper heads and cotton mouths we often get such good results that a trip to the vet is not needed. We also usually follow up with a shot of pennecillin that we keep refrigerated.
Sorry we are late getting on here but just saw the thread. ROWCO (Johnny and April) had an 8 1/2 pound girl Sat morning. Been off the Board. Bobby

[KyBeagleGuy09]

yeah we always keep benadryl and penicilin on hand for snake bites swelling will start going down in a couple hours after giving benadryl good luck with ur pup

[ringtail]

ive always heard to paste the roof of there mouth with bacon grease don't know what this does,,,,,,

[dbounds]

I always carry dex with me this time of year. I keep a bottle in a small flexible cooler that hangs by my shock collars (in the house) and throw a small ice pack in the cooler while heading out the door, 2cc under the skin as soon as I discover one's been bit and the swelling will pretty much stop there. It does work faster if you give the Dex in the muscle. I usually follow up with 5 days of Cephlex or Amox, 250mg twice a day. If it's a big rattler and it hits the dog in the right place it can still be bad news?

[sbeagler]

had 2 pups get bite last week benaadryl pennicillin ok in 3 days must been a copperhead. my buddy killed a huge timber rattler out by his shed (bigger than a pepsi can) on monday the next day his neighbor got it from a rattler in her yard. down the road a mile there was a rattlerin the road dead. seem bad this year.

[Mo. Beagler 5000]

Apparently there is a vaccine for rattle snakes but it isn't 100 percent effective. For copperheads it almost never kills them. Less than 5 percent I think. I had two dogs bit by them the year before last. A little benadryl cleared it up the majority of swelling in about 2 days. The one bitten on the face was swollen for a week or so..

I did not use the antibiotics because they are for infections but I did not see any evidence of infection at the wound site. But infections are common after snake bites in dogs and humans.

[Volfan]

What is the dex yall keep talking about? Sounds like I need to get some of that.

[Mo. Beagler 5000]

What is the dex yall keep talking about? Sounds like I need to get some of that.

dexamethasone. At your vet it will be called Aurizon. (they give it for ear infections a lot) It is a steroid that is REALLY potent in animals for reliving anphalaxis. I keep meaning to get some but I always forget.

fun fact: hookers in bangladesh use it to get body fat apparantly...

[Tsa la gi]

Have only one dog snake bit in all the years I`ve hunted here in the swamps of Ga. Always carry benadryl. Went to my vet yesterday and asked to buy dex. Wouldn`t sell it to me. Give your dog benadryl and bring it in asap. Her answer was we have to give other medicenes along with the dex because, There could be a side effect such as deteriation of meat or muscle,in the shot area.hardening of the meat or muscle , ect, ect.
You guys that use dex,have you ever had or heard of anything like this? I have heard of some big copperheads around here. I have killed a few that were almost 2 feet long and smaller. Snakes are moveing here and just want to be prepared.
Thanks