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Wildlife Encounters:  Snakebit  |
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 20 2007 : 09:53:45 AM
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Our dog Buddy was bitten by a snake last night, about dusk, in our little patch of woods. I assume it was a copperhead. He was sniffing around beside the trail where we were walking when he flinched and pawed at his muzzle, but he didn't act like he was extremely bothered, so we didn't think much of it. Didn't notice till we got back up to the house that half his muzzle & neck were incredibly swollen. Could see one small bloody/oozy spot among his whiskers, but the other mark wasn't clear till this morning. I gave him Benadryl & monitored him last night - no nervous system signs or vomiting, etc, just dilated pupils, awful swelling & extreme discomfort. Poor guy was so scared! He was finally able to rest when I gave him a pillow to lay his head on beside our bed.
Today he's looking/feeling much better but still looks like he swallowed a grapefruit from the swelling in his neck. Scary stuff. Luckily, it seems he must've gotten a pretty weak shot of venom.
Here's a good website I found about "do's" and "don'ts" when you suspect your dog has been bitten:
http://www.raidthewind.com/snakebite.htm
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Mountain Girl
outrigged
237 Posts
JoAnn
Colville
WA
USA
237 Posts |
Posted - Oct 22 2007 : 2:41:12 PM
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| How is Buddy doing? I wonder if dogs can learn by their mistakes and stay clear of snakes in the future. I don't mind snakes but I do mind the poisonouse ones. JoAnn |
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
Posted - Oct 23 2007 : 07:14:45 AM
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Except for the 2 scabby fang wounds, he's back to normal. No residual problems that I can see. I've lived around copperheads, even worked around them, so they've never really spooked me. They're non-aggressive snakes that try to keep to themselves. Now that we've got kids, though, I'm a nervous Nelly. Counting Buddy's run-in, we've encountered 2 on our property this year. But, it's the cottonmouths (water moccasins) that terrify me. Our neighbor sees them in the nearby creek occasionally. I've had a couple of close calls with them in the past, and they are hideous looking snakes. Still wouldn't kill one randomly, like on the roadway, but I don't want them anywhere my kids (or dogs) play.
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Wildlife Encounters: Snakebit |
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Snakebit
