Rattlesnake Bit My Dog

[Soundguy]

My stepfather has had a couple dogs get hit by a rattlesnake. Both in the head/neck area. one was a dobi/bulldog mix.. the other was a rottweiler. Each time the dogs had significant swelling, and we found them hours or a day after the attack.. Both times the vet came out and gave anti inflamitory's and antibiotics. both dogs recovered.

Good luck... It stinks loosing a pet.

I keep lots of birds.. and unfortunately have quite a few snakes to dispatch each year... I don't like killing the NP ones.. but they eat birds.. so they gotta go.


Soundguy

Well, just as I was commenting in the alligator attacts tractor thread that wedidn't have to worry about reptiles in Iowa the worst happens.

As I am doing chores last night I hear a chattering noise and I thought it was the insects in the trees, but it gets curiously louder. I look down and there is a rattlesnake looking right at me chattering away.

I ran back in the house and picked up the 12 gauge and some turkey shells and sent him on to the next world. After that some neighbors were by to see the snake and one of them noticed that one of my dogs faces didn't look right. He is a 6 year old chocolate lab and he had been bit on the face.

There is only 1 hospital in the area that has antivenom and they would not give t up for a dog. My vet says in his 30 years of operation here that he has never seen anything like it.

Anyway, this is somewhat related to tractors as now I have to mow more and clear brush areas to hopefully keep the snakes away. What next!!

I have some pictures but I wont be able to upload them for a few days. Right now we are giving him antibiotics and antiinflammatorys. The vet says at least the initial bite didn't kill him which is good and the prognosis is favorable since he was bit in the face and not in his midesection. He may lose some tissue but we'll keep him on antibiotics till that period is over. It will likely break open and fall off, hopefully he will be okay.

 

[Tim_in_IA]

Thanks everyone for the kind words. Had an update from my family which live up the road from me (I'm still at work) and they said Maghnus (my lab) barked at them and was walking around well, eating and drinking. Also they said the swelling may have decreased somewhat. Sounds like if he makes it through the next 24 hours he'll be pretty good. I didn't mention before that he is 93 lbs and the rattler was around 4feet long but fairly thin. Wasn't a huge fat monster so hopefully the venom was minimal.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Give my best wishes to the dog. You I don't care so much about but I'm worried about the dog. From what Soundguy wrote, it sounds like a snakebite from a rattler may not be the automatic kiss of death that I figured it would be. I guess I watched too many John Wayne westerns when I was a kid, seems like everyone in those movies who got bit was automatically doomed. At 93 pounds your dog has plenty of mass so hopefully he's big enough to withstand the venom. I hope he was otherwise very healthy, that will help too.

I didn't even know there were rattlesnakes in Iowa.

 

[Iowachild]

Tim,

I was born and raised in Des Moines county and never, I mean never heard of rattlesnakes anywhere there.

But here in PA, can't go any summer without seeing one or hearing about some close by.

Hope all goes well for your dog. Losing a good dog is like a punch to the gut!

MIKE

 

[InlineDieselFan]

Tim I hope Maghnus continues his good recovery!

I just got in from burying the Racoon under a burn pile our Lab/Great Dane, killed. I did not see any bites or open wounds on her.

Darn dogs hard to live with them and with out them.

steve

 

[GreenQuality]

I think your lab will do fine! give some time. there inner workings are a lot different then me and you. best thing to do , Don't give those egg sucking snakes a place to hide in that hot sun.Clear everthing anything! and make sure your home has no hidden openings for them to get in to! hope the best you and your little buddy!

 

[tillerkiller]

My dog (a dachshund) got bit on the lip by a copperhead. It swelled up way big and when it went back down his lip was gone! (the skin was still there but it did not look right) It finally 'grew' back after about two years.

You should have seen the look on his face when he ran up to me before I figured out that he had been bit. It was like "Something bad just happened, but I'm not quite sure what it was."

 

[Newblue]

Tim,

I was born and raised in Des Moines county and never, I mean never heard of rattlesnakes anywhere there.

But here in PA, can't go any summer without seeing one or hearing about some close by.

Hope all goes well for your dog. Losing a good dog is like a punch to the gut!

MIKE

How close to Majestic Trails are you? Next weekend I'm going to Jamestown, NY to do some ATVing with a friend. Should I take precautions for rattlesnakes while on the trails?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[unreconstructed]

My big ole mutt was nailed in the face as he jumped between the rattlesnake and my wife. Vet said the face was about the best place--extremity bites fatal a lot of times. The dog was swollen and mighty sad for a few days. Vet gave him antibody and inflammatory drug.

Snake died of lead poisoning.

I have quite a few face to face meeting with old Jake the snake. Carry a Ruger New Vaquero with snake shot, weak side cross draw. Good practice if anyone ever needs extras for a western I guess.

 

[Tim_in_IA]

When I gave Maghnus his medicine this morning he was doing okay but I could tell it was bothering him. It was still pretty dark out but I think I could see the beginnings of the slough (sp?) getting ready to seperate or break open. Gonna be a rough set of days for him. I am pretty confident he is going to make it though.

I live in the Maquoketa river valley in eastern Iowa. I guess this is the only place nearby where the snakes live. My father in law looked up the snake in one of his books and it appears to be a timber rattler. I guess it is a bigger snake than I thought before, 4+ feet long. Tomorrow I'll be working out there all day clearing up hiding spots.

It is kindof ironic though as I've spent the last few weeks installing 400' of chain link to protect my family and animals while in the yard, but that wont do a thing for the snakes.

Bob_Skurka, I had to chuckle a bit when I read your comment on not being worried about me but worried about the dog. Thanks for that