Last month my Brittany and Lab were both bit by a monster cottonmouth in our yard. The snake was over 5' long and bigger around than a baseball.
The Brittany killed the snake, but he and the Lab both paid the price.
Thank God for Benadryl, it's a life saver for snake bit dogs.
The Brittany has been bit by Copperheads and got over it pretty quick with a couple of doses of Benadryl.
This snake was big enough, I didn't know if they would survive the night. They did, but it took almost a week for the Lab to get over the worst of it.

Shayne

Great post !! Benadryl should be in all of our first aid kits and yet it's one of those things that's easy to forget to add.

Good job.

Do you give the Benadryl orally? What dosage?

Yes, please post some info on the Benadryl. We had a lab get bit by a rattle snake and it was rough. Any remedy in a situation like that is good to know of.

Here ya go guys. A great source for using benadryl for dogs.

http://benadrylfordogs.org/

My JRT bit into a new canister of albuterol one day when I was out shopping. Came home and found the poor dog convulsing on the kitchen floor. One tab of Benadyryl and some water force fed down his throat and he was on his way to recovery by morning. I just pushed a full tab down his throat like I would with any dog medication and then had him chase it with some water. I know this isnt the same as getting bit by a snake but my point is that it has many great uses for pets.

My vet offers a Rattlesnake vaccination that I am considering.
It costs $25.00 and requires a yearly booster. By no means is it 100%, however I have been told that it can really help minimize the tissue and organ damage from a snake injection. Anyone have an opinion about this shot in particular?

I would use Dex for snake bites. It is faster and more effective.

What is Dex?

Dexamethasone.

+1 some bites are "dry" but dex is what we have used also.

Dex and Benadryl are probably what kept my Feist from croaking after he got nailed on the nose by a big copperhead a couple of years ago.

Ive never heard of that dex, I will check into it. I have both of my dogs on the booster that norcal mentioned. When my cur got nailed last year by that rattler, I think that it really lessened the affects of the venom on my dog. He was fine after a couple of days.

That's is some good info on the benadryl...thanks for sharing.

I've had several coondogs bit in the past. Head would swell up like a basketball. Never lost one, but god did you feel sorry for them.
Kelly

My GSD got hit by a BIG rattler this past summer.
Benadryl had little effect, but after a couple of days the Dex got him back up and around.