Copperhead bite

[Usmc5811]

I went out this afternoon around 1pm for a short walk with my 8 year old niece and my 4 year old Akita named Fuji. Got out the neighborhood and entered the park, which was having a wounded warriors bike race also.
After thanking some for the sacrifice they gave for this country. We started into the wooded trail and after about 50 yards Fuji was just off the side of the trail. All of a sudden she started shaking her head like she had been bee stung. I immediately knew what had happened and backed my niece and dog back down the trail. Then slowly eased up to the area where it happened and sure enough about a 2' copperhead was coiled up in the leaves. Looked at the dog and 2 fang marks in her lower jowls. Well that ended the walk, we turned around and headed to the house. Loaded her into the pathfinder and off to the vet. By the time we see the vet, it has been over an hour since she was bit.
Now I grew up in the country and seen a few dogs and cats bitten by a copperhead and most survived. Other then swelled up for a few weeks. Sure enough the vet tells me the same thing gives her some antibiotics and something for the pain, and sends us on our way and to come back tomorrow.
I tell you it's amazing how tough these family members can be. Other then a little swelling you wouldn't know anything was wrong. I'm in more danger from the wife for walking her in the park...lol...No irregular breathing, drooling/foaming, shaking or weak when moving. I'm pretty sure with it being an adult copperhead that she was lucky and got a dry bite. Time will tell but here is a pick 3 hours after the bite. Kinda looks like she has wad of tobacco in her gums but other then that no problems.

 

[mauser9]

Hope all continues well with the dog. Can't stand snakes myself. Hopefully it won't happen again.

 

[rickflst]

Hope she recovers well. Glad to hear she is still doing well

 

[richardw]

Glad to read it was a copperhead and not a timber rattlesnake. From the age 7 through 10 I spent summers with my Uncle Joe and Aunt Stella in Tamaqua, PA in the Blue Mountains of PA. Uncle Joe taught me to shoot his Savage 29 pump 22. We hiked the mountains together. He was a coal miner who died of black lung disease, but before he died he taught me how to shoot.

We were hiking on a mountainside one summer and I disregarded his advice. I went off trail and manged to get bitten by a copperhead. I thought I was going to die. After Uncle Joe killed the snake, he assured me that I would be ok. Turns out that after about two weeks of swelling and pain I was fine.

I hike the same woods ever spring through fall these days. I rarely see a snake, but if I did I would only shoot it as a last resort. Snakes are just being snakes, and we have to give them some space whe we come upon them. I hope your dog is fine, and I suspect it will be.

 

[Bob L]

I am glad to here that Fuji will be Ok. Must be that the snake caught her totally by surprise.

 

[UncleEd]

"Snakes are just being snakes....."

I've heard this and read this many times.

Well, dogs being dogs, our kids being kids and us adults being
adults, nuts to the poisonous snakes.

 

[M E Morrison]

I went out this afternoon around 1pm for a short walk with my 8 year old niece and my 4 year old Akita named Fuji. Got out the neighborhood and entered the park, which was having a wounded warriors bike race also.
After thanking some for the sacrifice they gave for this country. We started into the wooded trail and after about 50 yards Fuji was just off the side of the trail. All of a sudden she started shaking her head like she had been bee stung. I immediately knew what had happened and backed my niece and dog back down the trail. Then slowly eased up to the area where it happened and sure enough about a 2' copperhead was coiled up in the leaves. Looked at the dog and 2 fang marks in her lower jowls. Well that ended the walk, we turned around and headed to the house. Loaded her into the pathfinder and off to the vet. By the time we see the vet, it has been over an hour since she was bit.
Now I grew up in the country and seen a few dogs and cats bitten by a copperhead and most survived. Other then swelled up for a few weeks. Sure enough the vet tells me the same thing gives her some antibiotics and something for the pain, and sends us on our way and to come back tomorrow.
I tell you it's amazing how tough these family members can be. Other then a little swelling you wouldn't know anything was wrong. I'm in more danger from the wife for walking her in the park...lol...No irregular breathing, drooling/foaming, shaking or weak when moving. I'm pretty sure with it being an adult copperhead that she was lucky and got a dry bite. Time will tell but here is a pick 3 hours after the bite. Kinda looks like she has wad of tobacco in her gums but other then that no problems.

I trust you dispatched the snake?

 

[Grayfox]

My Grandfather once had a German Shepard that just had a thing for poisonous snakes. Around here that would be mostly cotton mouths with an occasional copperhead. That dog would sometimes disappear for several days and finally come limping home. Check him over and sure nuff, you'd find fang marks.
He'd curl up under the front porch and we'd place food and water where he could reach it. A few days later he'd come back out feelin' just fine. Crazy dog.

 

[Usmc5811]

I trust you dispatched the snake?

I wanted to but I you can't shoot a firearm in city limits. That along with the wounded warriors who were out for a nice day. They did not need to hear a gun report within 100 yards of where they were. And as far as using a stick, my niece weighs about the same as Our Akita (who was a little mad by then.) she would not have been able to hold her back while I gave it a good wak.
We just should have been more careful I know they are there. But normally I see them in the evening on the paved bike trail, or sunning themselves in the morning. Just wasn't expecting one at 1pm with a temperature of 86 degrees.
But a little over 9 hours since bitten other then about the same amount of swelling she's doing great. I never had to worry about this with my Jack Russell I had. He would let them strike at him, then jump and grab them in the middle and shake as hard as he could for a couple of minutes. He was a snake killer and a darn good one.

 

[DBX]

Wishing Fuji a full and pain free recovery!

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[Marshwheeling]

I thought this was going to be a knife thread, in the wrong sub forum.

 

[gman51]

I worked at a large nursery that had several cooling ponds. The ponds with brush or weeds around usually had a lot of cottonmouths.
There was a big Lab that stayed on the property and one day he evidently got bit right on his head. His head swelled up like a baseball stuck on his head. After about 2-3 weeks he was okay.
It is said if you ever go walking around ponds or high grass then have a dog with you because the dog will sense the snake. My dogs have several times let me know a snake was real close. It wasn't long before it was a dead snake. I keep the grass mowed down around my pond to keep the snakes from living in the pond.

 

[Targets Guy]

Hoping for the best for your dog. Scary stuff.

 

[jsfricks]

I'm glad to hear Fuji is doing well. I came home the other night around 9:30, hit the garage remote and saw something next to my garage door. Got out and looked and saw the "Hershey kisses" down the side. Had a shovel leaning beside the other garage door and took care of the problem. My son comes in the middle door after dark every night. He would have been home from school 30 minutes later. I don't mind snakes in the yard, unless they're venomous.

 

[richardw]

My Grandfather once had a German Shepard that just had a thing for poisonous snakes. Around here that would be mostly cotton mouths with an occasional copperhead. That dog would sometimes disappear for several days and finally come limping home. Check him over and sure nuff, you'd find fang marks.
He'd curl up under the front porch and we'd place food and water where he could reach it. A few days later he'd come back out feelin' just fine. Crazy dog.

A Devil Dog! Oohra!

 

[moralem]

Dogs are resilient like that, which is a good thing. Us humans not so much. I was bit by a copperhead about 2 years ago and not getting it attended to puts one at risk for serious tissue damage at the site of the bite. I was going to just shake it off and hope for the best until I looked up pictures of snake venom necrosis......I was at the hospital in minutes and was given two rounds of anti-venom. The bite hurts like an electric shock and the pain stays with you for about 24 hours. I would not recommend letting a bite go unattended. This is a picture of my hand a couple of days after the bite and swelling reduced by about half.........

 

[FifthWheel]

I hope Fuji is OK.

 

[Jessie]

Glad she's ok. Our terriers just killed what I think was a very young copperhead in the yard yesterday.
It was only about 6"-8" long and light tan colored with what looked like the dark markings starting to develop from its belly going up.
The only thing I know about it for sure was that it was dead.
Do the very young ones have venom?
And where is Momma?

 

[Usmc5811]

Glad she's ok. Our terriers just killed what I think was a very young copperhead in the yard yesterday.
It was only about 6"-8" long and light tan colored with what looked like the dark markings starting to develop from its belly going up.
The only thing I know about it for sure was that it was dead.
Do the very young ones have venom?
And where is Momma?

Yes the young ones have venom and are more apt to inject then an older snake. Least that's what I have been told. And if my Jack Russell was still alive you can bet that snake would have been dead before it could have struck. He was a snake killing machine.

 

[Jessie]

We've had a couple of Jack Russels and I will second that statement!
After checking the "net" I don't think this was a copperhead. Too early in the year for babies and I couldn't find a pic of a juvenile that looked the same.

 

[Usmc5811]

Well after checking Fuji this morning she looks like she was never bitten. Swelling had went down and she's acting normal. She still going back to the vet for a blood test and another check, but it seems it was a dry bite.

 

[BearBio]

To answer a few questions:
1. Yes, young snakes have venom (in venomous species). Often their bites are worse because the haven't learned to "hold back" venom and their venom may be more concentrated.
2. Snake bites are one of the most complicated medical emergencies. Venoms vary between species and even between populations. Then, individual sensitivity of the victim and amount of toxin injected play major roles. So does age, location of the bite, and health of the victim and the age and health of the snake. Weather, alcohol, last meal eaten all can have an affect.
3. Fortunately, copperheads have about the least toxic venom in North America (except for some rear-fanged colubrids). I have seen a couple of dogs and several cows get bit on the face by rattlers and all survived.
4. Depth of the fat layer will also slow absorption.

 

[JohnK]

Do the very young ones have venom?>>>>>>>>>>>

A few years ago, I was pulling weeds, in the back yard.

My full grown beagle, started growling, and lunged in front of me, and was promptly bitten in the face.

He quickly ran off, and within a minute, was on his back, and shaking, as if he was having a seizure. Took him to the vet, they gave him steroids, and he came home with me. Face swelled terribly.

It took him about three weeks to recover, by my bedside.

Right after the bite, I searched in the spot, and found a juvenile copperhead, not more than 9 inches long, and killed the varmint.

Yes, a small one has venom.

Loved that dog, it saved me from the bite.

 

[Drm50]

I skinned a Copper Head a female that had young in a membrane
They looked like Lima Beans. I slit one open and the snakes were
no bigger than a fishing worm, the markings on them were very
brite and distinctive. I never thought at the time to check and see
if they had fangs yet. I have skinned a lot of Copper Heads and
have only run across this once. Snake was only 28", which is a
average snake for this area, anything over 30" is considered big.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Glad to hear your dog is doing better.

Two things that dogs love to play with....
snakes and porcupines !!

I never understood why dogs go back for more ?

 

[RubenZ]

Awesome news.

 

[jsfricks]

We've had a couple of Jack Russels and I will second that statement!
After checking the "net" I don't think this was a copperhead. Too early in the year for babies and I couldn't find a pic of a juvenile that looked the same.

A juvenile Copperhead will have a brightly colored tale, used to attract its supper.

 

[the ringo kid]

I went out this afternoon around 1pm for a short walk with my 8 year old niece and my 4 year old Akita named Fuji. Got out the neighborhood and entered the park, which was having a wounded warriors bike race also.
After thanking some for the sacrifice they gave for this country. We started into the wooded trail and after about 50 yards Fuji was just off the side of the trail. All of a sudden she started shaking her head like she had been bee stung. I immediately knew what had happened and backed my niece and dog back down the trail. Then slowly eased up to the area where it happened and sure enough about a 2' copperhead was coiled up in the leaves. Looked at the dog and 2 fang marks in her lower jowls. Well that ended the walk, we turned around and headed to the house. Loaded her into the pathfinder and off to the vet. By the time we see the vet, it has been over an hour since she was bit.
Now I grew up in the country and seen a few dogs and cats bitten by a copperhead and most survived. Other then swelled up for a few weeks. Sure enough the vet tells me the same thing gives her some antibiotics and something for the pain, and sends us on our way and to come back tomorrow.
I tell you it's amazing how tough these family members can be. Other then a little swelling you wouldn't know anything was wrong. I'm in more danger from the wife for walking her in the park...lol...No irregular breathing, drooling/foaming, shaking or weak when moving. I'm pretty sure with it being an adult copperhead that she was lucky and got a dry bite. Time will tell but here is a pick 3 hours after the bite. Kinda looks like she has wad of tobacco in her gums but other then that no problems.

I agree about these little pals being tough. My cat has a reoccuring UTI, and now diabetes on top of it-then lost half her body weight in a few weeks. Thankfully in some areas-she is improving--slow in other areas.

Glad your little pal is on the mend.

 

[Watchdog]

We just should have been more careful I know they are there. But normally I see them in the evening on the paved bike trail, or sunning themselves in the morning. Just wasn't expecting one at 1pm with a temperature of 86 degrees.

That's a good point about being more careful. I've stopped walking my dogs in the woods where we walk in Winter. We now walk in a big 300 acre park with lots of open space...grassy meadows and stuff. Even so, this time of year, I'm constantly scanning the ground in front of us and around us as we walk.

It's interesting to me...Annie and Beau have an "I-see-a-snake!" bark that is easily distinguishable from their ordinary play bark or other type of intruder bark. And snakes have a distinct sort of acrid odor to them, even to me, so I imagine it's even more so for dogs. They are very wary around snakes...sort of dancing all around one and barking, sometimes making little lunges at it. I'm very quick to get them away from a snake, even non-poisonous ones.

I'm considering carrying some sort of snake-whacker stick with me on our walks...just haven't decided what kind.

 

[ChuckS1]

My wife saw a copperhead in the flower bed next to the walkway between the house and garage last week, which sent me to my Model 34 loaded with CCI shotshells. Snake apparently got away or just hid well enough to go undiscovered. Then yesterday, she was out in the yard and said there was another one. So I get out there and there's a small black snake, all coiled up and striking out, probably more scared of her than she was of it. He got to go on his way, but makes me wonder if that wasn't what she saw the other day. But, that being said, we have enough copperheads around where I live that it pays to turn on the porch and floodlights on at night when I walk the dogs. And keep the Model 34 handy.