Copperhead bite

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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Jessie said:
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.
Click to expand...

A juvenile Copperhead will have a brightly colored tale, used to attract its supper.
 
Usmc5811 said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Usmc5811 said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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.
 
Well she's still doing great. Worrying me to go for a walk. Where we were walking was just a small 8 acre park. Half the park is the city pool and playground, picnic shelter. So a little more then half the park is open, with the rest being wooded with a walking trail. We were only 50 yards from the playground at the most.
I think it's gonna be a bad year for copperheads. I have killed 2 back in march while morel hunting, and seen 2-3 others also.
 
I think you should go "snake hunting" and set things right. Fuji looks like a sweetie pie for sure. I'd have to at least try to find that rascal, before some other pet, or God forbid, some youngster ran into it. Maybe take Fuji back on a leash and let her find it, you can administer reparations with a heavy walking stick. The world will be right again, and Fuji will think you're the hero. :D
 
My good friend's son was playing golf in Tulsa with his buddies and saw a Copperhead. Instead of clubbing it he stepped on his head and grabbed the tail and went to fling it in the brush. I think he was showing off, but as he went to fling it the snake bit him on the hand. He spent the night in the hospital and the doctor bills were $50,000 and he didn't have insurance.
 
BearBio said:
And, ..........SKUNKS!
Click to expand...

Speaking of skunks. I was reading in some Western-related magazine yesterday-an artical about Slim Pickens. He was showing loads of rodeo "ropes" to an Andrew Prine--who was goinng to be in some Western or rodeo-related movie with him. Prine said he leapt a fence to go rescue a cowboy who'd been cornered (Pickens had been a rodeo-clown before actor) and Pickens himself got cornered and on his back lying onthe ground. Prine thought and said that Slim was going to get killed. Slim yelled he wasnt worried because-------------the bull had no horns.:D

I forgot to add earlier in the above but--Slim pulled a live skunk out of a bag (box?) he carried and pplaced it next to the thrown cowboy-who saw the skunk and got up faster than greased lightning. The crowd roared with laughter.
 
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