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The Kitchen Table

First snake bite of the season:(

15 years ago

One of the dogs was bitten right on his lip. Copperhead most likely. Luckily we got home right after it happened so we were able to get him on meds right away. It happened Friday night, he was pretty miserable until today, wish they would learn to leave the snakes alone!

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Comments (15)

alisande
15 years ago
How scary! I always say snakes don't bother me. But I'm sure I'd be bothered a lot if they were venomous.
ruthieg__tx
15 years ago
What kind of medicine does he get for snake bite......Is it something that you can keep on hand for emergency? I worry about our Aussie.
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terilyn
Original Author
15 years ago
Benadryl,Rymadil, and antibiotics. We gave him those that night, then to the vet the next morning for a couple of shots. Check with your vet about dosages and getting some antibiotics to keep on hand. Don't know if this would work on any other type of snake.
marie_ndcal
15 years ago
Where we lived before we had 3 kinds of rattlesnakes. One of our cats did get bitten by one of the black/pacific ones and after we took him to the vet and got the anti venom shot he did not make it. Found out later that in this case the anti venom shots are worst that the actual bite for cats. Glad your dog is better.
ruthieg__tx
15 years ago
Thanks for the info, I'll make sure that DH talks to the vet. I always keep Benadryl on hand.
jemdandy
15 years ago
For posionous snake bite, you do not wait until the next day. The victim must be taken to a clinic as soon as possible for best anti-venon treatment. Also, the care provider needs an ID of the species of snake that did the bite. Venon types vary with species and so does the treatment. If your dog was still running around the next day, he'll likely survive the bite; the vet gave treatment against infections.
terilyn
Original Author
15 years ago
I called the vet that night, followed her instructions on treatment. With as many times as we have gone through this I am not stupid enough to treat it without a vets instructions. Clinics around here do not keep anti-venom in stock, too expensive.
susanjf_gw
15 years ago
i havn't seen any snakes here in mi, but worry about coyotes..sounds crazy, to say you're in an urban setting, with critters...everyone thinks they don't have dangerous snakes here, but they do...
FlamingO in AR
15 years ago
We have had cats with copperhead bites also and the vet always prescribes Benadryl over the phone and tells us to pick up antibiotics as soon as they are open, be it that day, the next day or Monday. Fortunately, animals tolerate copperhead bites much better than people do.

Sorry about your bite, a bite on the lip sounds really painful. And it's so early in the year, too..... our bites usually occur in Aug/Sept when it's hot hot hot.
terilyn
Original Author
15 years ago
We are so hot and dry here they are really coming out, there was a story on the local news the other night about how bad they are this year. I am terrified of snakes, have no business living where I do! Lol
sleeperblues
15 years ago
That is so scary, hope your pup is healing well. Around here I worry about eagles. DH used to take the dogs to a field and run them off leash, but the eagles circle overhead. I'm not worried about the big dogs, but my little guy probably looks like a tasty morsel. He's 13#, so may be a bit big but I still worry. No off-leash anymore (plus the ticks are in the field)
jannie
15 years ago
I am happy to report I live in an area of New York (Long Island) with no venomous snakes. Tho we do have ticks and fleas and mosquitos that spread illnesses to some animals. We have't even had a case of rabies in my county in years, tho it is required to keep pets vaccinated.
whidbeykathy
15 years ago
Oh how I love Whidbey Island where the only snakes we have are garter snakes : )
FlamingO in AR
15 years ago
So just 'cause you don't have any now, doesn't mean you won't or can't. Snakes can swim, ya know!

I really learned that first hand at the lake one day, when a guy brought his 15' albino Burmese python down for a swimmy. GEEZ LOUISE! I'd have had a heart attack if we had met in the water! I was warning the snorkelers going by and one took off like a shot, because she WANTED to meet up with it. Erggggggggg......

Oh, and Woody was out in the Gulf one day on his sailboat when a pygmy rattler swam by, headed for who knows where.
whidbeykathy
15 years ago
No poisonous snakes west of the Cascades in WA. I think it's too cold/wet for them (?) It'd be a LONG trek for them and a longer swim : ) If they somehow managed to get to the Island, a eagle or hawk would take care of them for me.

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