Rosie got hit by a Copperhead

Dodged a bullet on this one. It either was a shallow dry bite or the puncture was a coincidental cactus needle stick. I wiped a big drop of blood off the puncture and took a picture for a baseline before any swelling, but it never swelled. No redness, no tenderness touching it.

38 degrees and wet. I could not believe there was a snake out. I was on one side of the tree and Rosie on the other. I saw her nosing into the tree thinking a rabbit was about to bust out my side, heard a thump and Rosie kind of snapped her head up. I used to hunt and sell rattlesnakes and know that thump sound on my boots and chaps. I knew instantly what it was. When I came around the tree yelling Rosie's and the Snakes noses where only inches apart. Benadryl immediately given and treated the puncture. She has had red ant bites that looked worse than this so just going to keep and eye on it. I lined up a vet if needed, but right now the road goes on. Will be headed to Muleshoe NWR tomorrow to set up camp for three days of Quail hunting. It will be much colder, so hopefully NO SNAKES.

Hopefully that is the last one she ever gets hit by if it was a hit but the thump sounds like it no swelling is a good thing in that case. Good luck on the quail and stay warm.

I had a Chocolate Lab that just could NOT leave them alone. He always wanted to shake and kill them.

3 times he was bitten. One time his muzzle swelled up pretty good. Another time had an abscess on his neck. Third time some swelling around his nose...but in ALL cases the swelling went down markedly by the next day.

Good to hear all is well. I suspect the colder weather had something to do with the good fortune, maybe a bit slower on the strike.

Glad she's ok. I'm gonna have to break down and get mine to a snake breaking clinic this year.

John, what kind of benedryl do you carry? That’s really good information, especially now that I’m in Medina (west of San Antonio). We grow rocks, snakes and now coyotes. Oh and fair share of cactus.

Phil

Glad she's o.k.! I have always been told Benadryl if a dog gets bitten also, but have seen a couple write ups by Vets recently saying it doesn't help. Maybe it does or maybe it was a dry bite. Either way, I would have done the same thing. Good luck and keep us posted!!

Our dog has been popped twice on the nose like that at our house. Our vet gives us antibiotics that we keep at the house in case it happens again. He told us much better there on the nose than on a leg or paw. She is usually good to go the next day after a bite, crazy how fast they heal. In the mean time I hunt snakes at night all summer in an effort to keep them thinned out.

To be honest benadryl is probably going to do nothing, but it can't hurt them. If anything it calmed her down making it easier to keep a watch on her. It would mostly be in case of an allergic reaction and swelling. I carry liquid children's benadryl in my dog first aid kit and googled the dosage. I carry some basic antibiotics too, but not giving them to her.

She is fine. Like nothing happened.

Hope she is still doing well sir. Good luck at mule shoe.

Just glad to hear she’s no worse for wear.
I swear, if there is a way for a vizsla to get themselves in trouble, they will find a way to do it.

Guessing she is doing ok by the quail pics....

She is fine and did extremely well for 5 month 1 week old dog. Lot of porcupines there and snakes of course. It was warm the last day so I cut my hunt short to not take any chances. Another dog on the hunt did get into a porcupine and had to go to a vet.

I'll make a post about the hunt after I get home. Since the forum went to 4mb max on pics, I can't post them unless I manually reduce them. Most go on Facebook now. I'm back in Young county deer hunting.

Bless Rosie! I hope that's the extent of it.
My understanding is that benedryl in most cases simply preps a dog for the subsequent administration of antivenin, to which allergic reactions are common.

Flag she is doing good
I hope you guys have a great season

^^^^^^

It would be a rare case where antivenom would be needed for a Copperhead Bite. The exception being IF swelling were so severe that breathing was compromised. Naturally, the location of the bite and the amount of envenomation will determine the seriousness, but the venom of the Copperhead is the least potent of the indigenous Pit Vipers in the U.S.

Generally, any swelling will begin to subside within 24 hrs of the bite and 'most' dogs will recover fully....though I've seen a small amount of necrosis at the site of a bite before.

Cottonmouth venom is somewhat more potent and the 'amount' is likely to be more. IF the snake has been positively identified it might be worth taking the dog to a Vet for evaluation.

Rattlesnake bites in EVERY case should be treated as a Vet determines, very different venom potency and make up (depending on species).

Flintknapper, sounds like you very clearly know whereof you speak. Do have an opinion on whether the Crotalus atrox (Western diamondback) "vaccine" from Red Rock Biologics is worth spit? I have heard widely divergent views -- from vets.

1. She will be fine. Keep the benadryl handy.
2. She won't ever do that again, especially if she gets sick from it.

Two kinds of dogs. The ones that give them a wide berth after getting bit and the ones that carry a grudge and want to kill them after getting bit. Hopefully your Rosie is in the first category.

We had a big pointer that got his ear shredded by a bobcat when he was a pup. After that any cat that was seen was one shake and dead. I’ve never seen a dog that hated cats that bad.