Dog snake bite

bites to the face are far more dangerous than bites to an extremity. My mutts have both been bitten several times, both got antivenom the first time (and second time) and for one of them it was touch and go…had to do a full transfusion and we did not think she would make it.

the last time though (in may) it was a hind leg bite, I gave her Benadryl, prednisone and a gabapentin and she shook it off after a couple days. You just never know I guess

quote:

---

You just never know I guess

---

I think this is the biggest thing. So many variables.

I actually thought during the whole process how insane tiger dad is

My wife is a vet, I’m not one nor do I claim to be. The back and forth comes from people not distinguishing between species of snakes.

Copperhead bites will usually be a lot of swelling and not much else, their venom just isn’t as toxic as others. This is why people perpetuate the myth that dogs don’t need antivenin. Copperheads are the easiest snake for a dog to cross paths with in the south, so a lot of people have seen a dog get bit and shake it off.

Cottonmouths are a step up from copperheads but still are more likely to cause local damage as opposed to systemic failure.

Rattlesnakes are on a different level. They’re far and away responsible for the fatal bites she sees. If you have a basic understanding of snakes and know your dog was bitten by a rattlesnake, eastern or timber, get them to a vet ASAP and clearly communicate that. Best case they can treat and worst case they can euthanize before you wrack up thousands of dollars treating a lost cause.

My vet in MS gives my labs a rattle snake shot once a year. I have no idea what this does in terms of what will happen if they ever get bit by one.

There was a man that used to inject himself with small amounts of deadly snake venom weekly. We're talking about the worst venom in the world.

He developed an immunity to a lot of them.

Believe he was in Australia.

supposedly it builds antibodies in the bloodstream so that a subsequent bite isn’t so severe in effects.

honestly, snake avoidance training is more effective thing to do

quote:

---

snake avoidance training

---

I have started looking into this. There's a group that does it across the south east. Gotta be cheaper than the vet bills. The GSP is smart enough he will figure it out.

My other dog already knows, he sees a snake and he's like nah frick that thing.

quote:

---

For all that he had done and time at vet, I wouldn't been surprised if you said it was 5k.

---

shite after 2 emergency vet visits for my Dane I wouldn’t be surprised at 10k.

Wood cock group is holding one here soon

So, I grew up in La. Had dogs bit by copperheads and moccasins. No fatalities, but some ugly, festering wounds.
Now live in Texas.
Our country vet, and all the neighbors highly recommended the rattlesnake shot. They all said the same thing. It won’t make your dog immune to snake bites, but will give them time and resist the poison, maybe reduce or eliminate antivenin requirements.
Both or dogs get them every year. About $95 each.
Two shots on year 1. One shot per year after.
The vet had a sign in the waiting room. Had dogs, cats, horses, cows etc on the left side, months across the top so you could see how many of each kind of animals were getting bit. I always found it interesting to see. The numbers of dogs and cats were very high, 6 or 8 per month in the spring and fall, less in the summer and usually zero in the winter. But the numbers really added up.
The only venomous snake we had around our place was rattlers. Killed two or 3 an every year. Over the past seven years, Dogs never got bit. Thankfully.
We were south of Fort Worth last spring walking a creek.
My lab got bit by something on top of his head, above one ear.
I didn’t notice till we got home hours later. He never yelped or acted like he got bit. He is a bit of a tank. We saw it when we were sitting on the couch.
That evening, the area swole up a bit and the bite marks were very evident. We think it was probably a copperhead, maybe a moccasin.
He never exhibited any signs of sickness or problems of any sort.
We went to our place south of Abeline two days later, and was talking to our vet about other stuff and told him about the bite.
He said he would come by for a look.
There was still a bit of drainage, but minimal necrosis and dog was normal crazy self.
The vet was very happy w how it looked and said the snake shot probably helped. He said as long as it didn’t swell back up or started draining pus, he was good to go. I told him I thought it only worked on rattlesnakes. He said no, his experience was that it helped against all snakes.
This guy sees about 30 to 40 animals a year bit by venomous snakes out in the country. That is good enough for me.
100 bucks a year is cheap insurance.