Snakebite!

On Monday, April 4, 2011, a dog bitten by a snake on Saturday was presented at the vet’s office.

She was bitten on the head.  She and her dog brother were playing in a field near their home when she was bitten.  The other dog went to the house, but wouldn’t get on the porch.  The owners knew that something was wrong because when the dog gets on the porch, he gets a treat.  He led them to the other dog. 

Antivenom is specific to the type of snake.  If you don’t know what kind of snake caused the bite, you don’t know what antivenom to use, and many vets do not stock antivenom at all. 

The swelling started 24 hours after the bite.  She had no fever, but she was too weak and paralyzed to even push herself up on her elbows.  She had no blink response.

Her head was swollen enormously.  She’s a young shepherd mix, and her head should be almost half this size.

The top of her head has the two fang marks at the top of the photo, about 1 1/2 inches apart, and massive bruising.

I supported her head to take this picture.  She cannot blink, and the eye that was closest to the floor, in this case her left eye, was almost swollen shut from the accumulated fluid and swelling.  I kept turning her throughout the day from side to side.  She could swallow when I syringed water into her mouth, but she could not control her bladder.  She received subcutaneous fluids throughout the day in addition to a large dose of steroidal anti-inflammatory.

Cross your fingers and stay out of tall grass.