Snakebite Pics

[tommyboy72]

I went out this afternoon to check on the dogs in the 98 degree heat and see if they needed their little wading pool filled that I keep out in the yard for them and I find my 9 year old setter's face all swollen so I take her to the vet to find out my suspicions were correct that she had been bitten by a rattle snake but she is doing fine and a reasonably priced $66 and 2 hours later with a shot to draw out the venom and swelling and some antibiotics we came home. I thought I would post some pics of it though. Notice the swelling under the jawline. Lucky for me I had a really loose fitting collar on her, the other dogs collars I keep fitting right but hers is super loose just because I never worry about her getting out of the yard and going anywhere. She also had a cut over her eye the vet said probably came from something else like jumping away from the snake and hitting her eye on something.

[north country guy]

GOOD LUCK !!!!!!! TOMMY That There Is My Worst Nitemare

[gittrdonebritts]

That stinks sorry to hear that happened my uncle's dog in New Mexico got bite two weeks ago he is 13 and almost died, good luck.

[tommyboy72]

She is a tough old girl and doing fine. I am sure with the antibiotics, in a couple of weeks you won't even be able to tell.

[ACooper]

Good luck Tom, that is hard on an older dog.

[tn red]

Good luck Tommy ,hate it but she looks to be making the best of it.

[Chief_dog]

Keep a close watch on her eye Tom. I've had a half dozen dogs bit by rattlesnakes over the years, and the only one I had trouble with was one where about a week later the dog's eye started rotting out of the socket. It was one of the nastiest things I've ever seen.

[kninebirddog]

That is what happens most the times...I like to keep mine at the vets over night one to get the extra cortisone shots and some IV antibiotics
The cortisone to help alleviate the swelling faster and the IV antibiotics as I am more concerned about secondary infection which snake bites are full of bacteria more so then many other bites.

[tommyboy72]

The thing that is worrying me the most is that most of the swelling is in the throat area and the jaw. I don't think the throat is swelling shut because she is still drinking and eating the pieces of hotdog I am stuffing with amoxicyllin but there quite a bit of external tissue swelling and in this 100 degree heat she is having a bit of trouble panting it seems.

[tommyboy72]

By the way what happened to the dog whose eye kept rolling out of socket?

[kninebirddog]

On the swelling that is fluid..it is not muscle swelling. The fluid takes a bit to get absorbed back into the body. SO it really does make it look worse then it is ...You may also see the fluid settle in to the front part and lower chest before it finally get fully absorbed.

Just keep an eye to keep the bite area clean so that secondary infection doesn't set in. and as long as she is acting normal and eating and eyes are bright she should be fine

[zzweims]

Sorry to hear about your setter. Been there, not fun.
She looks pretty good in the pics, though. I'll bet she'll be just fine.

Aline
http://zzfarms.com

[tommyboy72]

She's moving around a bit better this evening and panting normally but she hasn't been eating the last couple of days because the swelling was in the facial area as well as the neck but she was overweight anyway which I have let slide since she is 9 years old. The weight loss side of it may turn out to be a good thing. She is drinking normally though.