Copperhead bit my dog in her face

[2LaneCruzer]

Sorry to hear about that Eddie, hope your dog will be fine.

Of course. Ditto. As they say, our dogs are like children only with hair on them.

 

[CountryB]

I've had two of my dogs (Doberman Pinchers) bitten over the years. First one was a rattle snake. I didn;'t see the attack but I new something was wrong as she was pacing around and couldn't seem to get comfortable (kept lying down and getting up, etc.) a little while later her face swelled up (looked like a Rottie). I took her to emergency vet (this stuff always happens after-hours) and they recognized the problem. Appearently in central FL it is not uncommon for dogs to tangle with rattlesnakes. In my case it is believed to be a pigmy rattlesnake. They gave her "anti-venom" and it cost me $800 (plus the cost of emergency vet treatment.

A couple of years later, one of my other dogs got bit by a Coral Snake. I didn't see this happen either. I noticed the problem when the dog's hind legs were paralyzed. She couldn't get up. Took her to Vet and they knew what was wrong. This time I need to get "Coral snake anti-venom". Vets don't stock this so it cam from FL Hospital. Two doses at $600 each. When she came home she still couldn't move her back legs. I thought I now how a $1200 paralyzed dog. I would take her out to do her business by putting a towel under her and holding both ends to support her. Fortunatley after a week or so, she regained the use of her back legs.

When I tell this story to others, some tell me they would "no do anything. It's just a dog". Maybe I agree somewhat with this thought, but when this happens and you don't know what is going on (what's wrong with dog) and you go to the Vet, they don't come out with a cost estimate. You tell them to do whatever they can and you figure out the cost later.

Some have also said (at least regarding rattle snake bites) that most dogs will recover on their own without anti-venom. I don't know how true that is. My Vet says its rare for a dog to get bit by a snake because dogs are "too fast" for the strike. I have seen my dogs kill a lot of snakes - like dozens over the years (this is FL. We have a lot of snakes). 99% of the time they are black snakes (the good ones - protected species) but the dogs don't know that.

 

[dmccarty]

...
From what we are learning, dogs get bit by copperheads all the time. Very rarely is it fatal. Almost never with large dogs. It's scary, but we're feeling optimistic on a quick and full recovery. Just another aspect of living in the country that we're learning about.

Copperhead bites are seldom fatal to people either. The last fatal Copperhead bite that I heard about was when a volunteer firefighter was killed responding to a Copperhead bit call. He ran off the road and hit a tree. The snake bit person was ok.

I think my dog got bit once. She squatted to go to the bathroom, yelped and hopped like something bit her on the butt. I don't know how the dog would have not know the snake was there but that looked to be what happened. Did not think much of it at the time but a bit later she was panting, looking a bit dazed/stoned and had trouble standing. Watcher her really close and wonder what the heck was going on. Started to guess snake bite but she was quickly recovering so just kept an eye on her.

Later,
Dan

 

[Argonne]

Thanks for posting this, and in so much detail. We have 3 GSDs with the run of the homestead, and it's only a matter of time until one tangles with a snake.

We cheerfully share our land with pretty much any critter that comes along. The exceptions are snakes, coyotes, and hogs.

 

[k0ua]

Thanks for posting this, and in so much detail. We have 3 GSDs with the run of the homestead, and it's only a matter of time until one tangles with a snake.

We cheerfully share our land with pretty much any critter that comes along. The exceptions are snakes, coyotes, and hogs.

"There aren't many problems that a man can't fix with $700 and a 30-06"

I might add to that old quote a good 12 gauge can help a lot too!

 

[EddieWalker]

This morning Karen talked to our regular vet and they asked us to bring her in so they could take a look at her. Two of the doctors there looked at her and pretty much said what everyone else is saying, that dogs recover from snake bites pretty quickly and that it's extremely rarely for a big dog to die from a copperhead or cottonmouth bite. They where very concerned about a rattlesnake bite, so I showed them the picture and that relieved their fears. Rattlesnake bites are a lot worse!!!!

After a close examination and then shaving her face, the Doctors came in one after another to look at her and then told us that she received a very large dose of venom, and that it was one of the worse bites they had ever seen. You can see in this picture the blackening around the bite. The skin is dying ther and will need to be removed and kept clean. Fortunately my wife is a RN and is fine doing this. They also decided to increase her medicine over what the Emergency Vet said last night. More drugs, stronger drugs and to take them a lot longer.

This visit cost us another $116 including all the new meds.

 

[dmccarty]

Dang that looks nasty. Poor puppy! Kinda hard to tell from the photo because of the dark skin but that looked like a BIG snake judging from the distance between fangs!

The vet bills seems pretty cheap compared to some we have paid at the Vet ER. :shocked: Worth every penny though.

Later,
Dan

 

[/pine]

A couple of weeks ago...an old friend was woken in the night by his dog barking not unusual but this was a different than usual bark and in the front yard as opposed to the edge of the surrounding woods...

My friend went out to find a pair of copperheads intertwined and both striking at the dog...my friend managed to collar the dog and dispatch the snakes (with a pole saw I might add)...The dog had been bitten several times on the face and chest...having experience with other copperhead/dog encounters my friend made the dog as comfortable as possible (it was about 2:00 AM)...If this was not enough for one night...

Just after having got the dog settled (swelling in the chest made it difficult)...they realized they had left the patio door open to the bedroom and a large bat had gotten into the house and was going nuts...it took them another hour to safely capture and release the bat...the dog is fine...

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I've had two of my dogs (Doberman Pinchers) bitten over the years. First one was a rattle snake. I didn;'t see the attack but I new something was wrong as she was pacing around and couldn't seem to get comfortable (kept lying down and getting up, etc.) a little while later her face swelled up (looked like a Rottie). I took her to emergency vet (this stuff always happens after-hours) and they recognized the problem. Appearently in central FL it is not uncommon for dogs to tangle with rattlesnakes. In my case it is believed to be a pigmy rattlesnake. They gave her "anti-venom" and it cost me $800 (plus the cost of emergency vet treatment.

A couple of years later, one of my other dogs got bit by a Coral Snake. I didn't see this happen either. I noticed the problem when the dog's hind legs were paralyzed. She couldn't get up. Took her to Vet and they knew what was wrong. This time I need to get "Coral snake anti-venom". Vets don't stock this so it cam from FL Hospital. Two doses at $600 each. When she came home she still couldn't move her back legs. I thought I now how a $1200 paralyzed dog. I would take her out to do her business by putting a towel under her and holding both ends to support her. Fortunatley after a week or so, she regained the use of her back legs.

When I tell this story to others, some tell me they would "no do anything. It's just a dog". Maybe I agree somewhat with this thought, but when this happens and you don't know what is going on (what's wrong with dog) and you go to the Vet, they don't come out with a cost estimate. You tell them to do whatever they can and you figure out the cost later.

Some have also said (at least regarding rattle snake bites) that most dogs will recover on their own without anti-venom. I don't know how true that is. My Vet says its rare for a dog to get bit by a snake because dogs are "too fast" for the strike. I have seen my dogs kill a lot of snakes - like dozens over the years (this is FL. We have a lot of snakes). 99% of the time they are black snakes (the good ones - protected species) but the dogs don't know that.

They are not just a dog; I cried like a baby when my little Molly died. In this family we love our dogs. Correct, they are not people, but they are loved none the less.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I had a Large Munsterlander who weighed about 100 lbs. that got bit by a western rattler. The treatment at the vet was the same, and he came through it fine.