2 dogs bit by huge cottonmouth

yotehunter57

New member
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
 
Originally Posted By: yotehunter57 Thank God for Benadryl, it's a life saver for snake bit dogs.


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.
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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.
 
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.
 
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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?
 
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.

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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.
 
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.

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As far apart as those marks are that must have been a big snake.Glad your dog made it.Glad all you guys dogs made it.I am so glad we don't have many bad snakes around my house.It's not far,I can see the mountain ridge where I know copperheads and rattelers are but never seen one at the house here,never had a dog bit here.We used to hunt at night with hounds a lot and never did get a dog bit.We were very lucky.
 
I get lots of snake bit dogs each year. There are lots of copperhead dens around our house. I have bluffs on three sides of my house, and they love it! I have learned just how tough dogs really are. The only thing i do for them is soak the bite with mineral spirits. Soak it real good, and rub it in, that will work some of the venom out. after a good soaking, wash with dish soap, and let em heal. But im not saying you shouldnt administer meds, i just dont do it personally.
 
Originally Posted By: Matt_LowYes, 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.

Sorry for going off topic here, but Matt.
Any idea how much that cat in your avatar weighed?

Unless you're only 4'6" or so,, (
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) that's a monster!

FWIW, my best friend's a Vet. He tells me that the cases he see's of dogs bit by Rattlers up here have about a 50/50 survival rate.
"The closer to the heart, the lower the survival rate." (His words not mine).
He also says that weaker and/or smaller dogs don't do as well, but that probably goes without saying.

 
When anything happened in the past, I gave the Brittany 2 Benadryl capletts in 12 hour intervals. When he was copperhead bit a couple of years ago, I got the Benadryl down him within 15 minutes and the swelling was gone in 12 hours.
This time as soon as I realized they had been bit (their heads were swelling fast) I gave them 2 Benadryl apiece. When I found the snake and saw how big it was, I gave them another pill apiece.
Neither of these dogs are young. The Brittany will be 11 around the first of the year, and the lab will be 10 in a few days.
Before the swelling gets to bad and they will stll eat, I put the pills in pieces of hot dogs. If later, then you have to poke them down.
When I was a kid we had running walkers that got bit fairly often and none ever died. It did how ever take them several days to recover.
At least the Basset didn't get bit.

Shayne
 
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