Copperheads and Dogs

[SmokenMirrors]

Monday evening, around dusk, just before it got dark, my son Drew and I took my two dogs, my Siberian Husky Dakota and her cohort in crime, the elderly Malamute/GSD Rocky for a short walk. We don't usually go far due to Rocky's hips and age, so I didn't think to pick up my cell phone nor my pistol, which I usually always carry.

We were some ways away from the house, going down a small hill in the road, Dakota at the end of her extendable lead line when she jumped and I realized she was sniffing a snake!! I yelled and tried to reel her in but before I could do that, she sniffed again and the snake got her just below the left nostril! My other dog went to investigate, as he is not usually on a leash of any kind and he got struck at too but thank God he listens and obeys, as when I yelled at him to back off and come to me he immediately did so.

My son ran to our neighbors house, the neighbors son John came down with his truck and loaded both dogs into the bed, he took me back to my house and by then I was a crying mess. I don't normally loose my composure like I did, I am usually calm and think. Called my normal vet after hour line, got the number for the emergency vet in Manassas then John ran me to the clinic there where the vet took Dakota back to start treatment on her. He also stayed there with me then after I signed half the limit of my charge card away (poor humor I know), kissed Dakota on the nose, headed back home with a sick feeling as from the time of the bite to the time we got her to the clinic, 2 hours had passed and her muzzle, lips, and face were pretty badly swollen. But, the emergency vet said to keep faith....

Went back in the morning to go get her, having only gotten maybe 4 hours of sleep and the swelling was almost gone! The only new area of swelling was the ruff on her neck, but she got a good prognosis. Stopped at my local vets office on the way home, they took a look at her and took her hep lock I.V. out for me, as I was going to do it but was too shaky by the time I got near home. My vet said that now we look for necrosis of the soft tissue in her face, around her nose and lips and if by Friday we don't see any, then were out of the woods with her. She has another 5 days of antibiotics to take and believe me, I am on that!!

The only thing that really bothered me about this whole thing was how expensive the anti venom was, if we had had to go that route, I know I personally could not have afforded it on top of all the other bills and treatment that night. IF we had chosen to go to the vet clinic 15 minutes down the road, they charge you anywhere between $600 and $2000 a vile and if you called Prince William Hospital, IF they were feeling sympathetic to you, they charged anywhere between $400 and $1200 a vile for the anti venom. That is outrageous!! To put such a price tag on something that sometimes is or can be desperately needed and the solution to if your dog or pet lives or dies, when I was told this I started to laugh and cry at the same time, how do you choose?

[Zu Zu]

WoW! I am so sorry about this - Jingles for your dogs!!! I fear this also with my cats and copperheads :eek:- always watching - please keep us posted. And, yes that is outrageous about the prices - just emergency clinics alone are Stupidly high and I have always hated those "JESSE JAMES CLIINCS" regardless of the outcome - survival or the other. They might as well be holding a gun * pointed at you when you enter those energency clinics!! Good - Luck to you - again sorry for this terrible happening.

[Laytian]

Fingers crossed that your dog recovers fully. :yes:

Since there are copperheads in your area, you might want to consider doing a snake-proofing clinic with your dogs (once your Sibe recovers). They're a safe and effective method of teaching dogs to leave poisonous snakes alone. A friend of mine in AZ used to do them with her dogs, the kennel clubs in her area hold them every year or so.

[fivehorses]

I am really sorry and hope Dakota totally recovers.
I do have a couple of questions. At the emergency clinic, did they administer anti venom? I was a bit confused if they did or not.

I agree it is really ridiculouse how expensive that stuff is...in fact it is sad that it is so expensive, and I am sure it costs many cats and dogs their life.

Latian, I am curioius what is snake proofing clinics? Do they teach the dog to ignore a snake or do they teach owners how to snake proof their property?

[Laytian]

Dogs are taught to avoid snakes, so if one comes onto your property or you come across one when out hiking, the dog will avoid it. :yes::cool:

[smilton]

I killed a copperhead Saturday night in the driveway. Both my neighbors have killed one in the past week. Previous to all of this I had only seen one in the past five years.

[CanterQueen]

A neighbor told me she saw a copperhead on her property just last week -- we're in Fairfax County. First one she's seen in a long time. Be careful out there!!!

[Petstorejunkie]

I know emergency vets are expensive *but* they are there when we need them. Antivenin (the antivenom used on dogs and cats) is VERY expensive wholesale, it usually goes out of date before it's used in a clinic, yet they have to keep it on hand. someone has to pay for that.


sounds like you need some geese!

[Horsegal984]

So sorry you and your dog had such a traumatic walk! The good news is that of all the posionous snakes out there, the copperhead is the BEST one for your dog to tangle with! While copperhead bites are extremely painful and need treatment, they are typically not deadly bites. There is really no need for antivemon therapy with copperheads, where as with a lot of other pit vipers it's the only thing that will save them. Bites to the muzzle are of the most concern because the swelling can cause some airway obstruction, but in the vast majority of cases they recover fully without too much interventon. The main course of therapy for copperhead bites is strong pain management, close monitoring and antibiotics to try and help with local tissue necrosis. I worked for years with a veterinarian who was also a herptologist and knew more about snakes than most people would ever want to know about anything. But it was a great advantage for our clients when they came in, since we live in such a heavy copperhead area. I can't think of a single case where he felt any antivenom would have been beneficial to a pet we treated.

The most common snakes bites are on the muzzle for dogs, and paws for cats. Which when we think about it makes perfect sense, dogs find something new they want to sniff it, while cats reach out to pat at it.

Katherine
Vet Tech

[Zu Zu]

Horsegal984 - do you mean that cats too will recover >? As I am so worried about this very issue - have not seen any but have been told they are in my area - new property have been here since 11-06. A trip to vet - pain management - and antibotics and ... and will recover? Thank you for sharing your information!

[SmokenMirrors]

I second that thank you to Horsegal too...

Your right about the antivenom, but I still don't see why it has to be so ungodly expensive! Yes, someone has to get it, work with it so it is what it is, but as I said, someone who loves their pet dearly but can't afford it, what do you do? Watch your pet die, sometimes horribly and then bear the guilt, as you know we human's have a lot of guilt sometimes, lord knows I do in my case.

As you said, my first concern was her airway, as within 45 minutes, her muzzle was very swollen, she was panting, all the signs of a snake bite with the exception of staggering gait. The ride to the emergency vet was horrible for me as I kept reaching back to touch her ribs to ensure she was breathing, I had my windows down so she could get more air, and we kept her as comfortable as possible. Then when we hit road crews tearing up road and laying new asphalt, halting all movement of cars to a very slow crawl for like another half hour, I cried!!

[paintjumper]

I heard my dog barking, and barking, and barking one morning just after getting off night shift at the hospital. Tootie NEVER barked like that, so I got up off the couch and looked out the window and saw her looking down at the base of a pear tree. I walked out side and realized it was a snake and the closer I got and the more I screamed for her to come to me the more aggressive my dog became. I realized I was going to have to run up to her and snatch her away from the snake and as I reached in to pull her collar, she lunged at the snake and the snake struck at her. The snake some how latched onto her upper lip and as I instantly decided to grab the snake right behind it's head to pull it off my dog, the dog shook it head (and the snake) and I ended up catching the snake further down it body, which the snake then turned loose or came loose from my dogs lip and flipped around and bit me in the hand. We were both lucky, I think most of the venom was discharged outside the tissue as the fangs went completely through her lip and since it had just bitten her, I only got a little bit of the venom in my bite. Her lip swelled a little and my hand swelled right at the bite marks but we both had no other problems. I hate dogs ( and cats) with snakes.

[SmokenMirrors]

Thank goodness Paintjumper you and your pup was okay! I know that I leave most snakes alone, go the other way but I am starting to see why people say a good snake is a dead snake!! I honestly can't say that I won't kill one now if I find one on our property....I will however become even more diligent and better able to identify one and if it is poisonous, it is outta here!

[Horsegal984]

All the cats that I have seen have recovered as well. Although they do seem to get bit far less often, not really sure if they are just generally more sensible about snakes, or if the snakes find the cats to be smaller and less threatening. We usually treat about 2-3 copperhead bites a month on dogs during the summer, and usually 1-2 the whole summer on cats.

I wish I could come up with an affordable solution to the antivemon problem, cuz then I could retire! Unfortunatly there's just not a great way to aviod the costs involved, and there is little incentive for there to be a cheaper alternative since mainly the market is for humans, and since generally insurance will pay for it people aren't concerened with the costs.

One of the best things I know of for pet owners is CareCredit. It's a medical credit card, and most emergency clinics and many regular practices accept it. It's a great way to add to the cash/savings you already have available, to help ensure that you don't have to make tough decisions based on cost. Many times it's same as cash for 6-12 months, so you're not having to pay for interest either. If you have even decent credit you usually get approved, and you don't have to carry it to have the funds available, they can call and have the number looked up.

Katherine
Vet Tech

[Silvercrown90]

Katherine, Thanks for the good advice. In your experience, is there any pet medical insurance that you would recommend? Do you know if any cover snake bites?

It's tough living on a farm with our pets, so any information we can share is helpful. I like to hike in the woods with my dog, and I am always concerned about snakes. My young pup found a snake in my barn a few weeks ago. Luckily I saw it the same time she saw it. She was moving towards it, and I called her off. Good training always helps, as she stopped moving towards it and came back to me. It was non-poisonous, so I left it slink off. The problem is that many dogs already have their face close to the snake before the handler notices what they're into. When I'm in the barn, I'm usually feeding or mucking stalls, and the dog is running around doing dog things!!

Thanks for your time! I appreciate the advice.

[GallopHer]

I'm so sorry that you had such a horrific experience. I have to question the use of anti-venom to treat your dog,though. I say this because I have had quite a bit of exposure to copperhead bites.

My doberman was bitten on her muzzle on 3 different occasions. I have also had 2 cats who have been bitten by copperheads. The most I've had to spend for any of these episodes was $257.00 and they were each emergency visits to the vet. A steriod shot and antibiotics was all that was ever needed. And trust me - the muzzle of my dobe was so swollen, I thought for sure that she would suffocate.

I've used 2 different emergency clincs between the 5 snake bites (over the course of about 4 years) and their treatment was virtually identical.

In any case, best of luck with your dog. I know how frightening these experiences can be.

[dalpal]

So sorry you and your dog had such a traumatic walk! The good news is that of all the posionous snakes out there, the copperhead is the BEST one for your dog to tangle with! While copperhead bites are extremely painful and need treatment, they are typically not deadly bites. There is really no need for antivemon therapy with copperheads, where as with a lot of other pit vipers it's the only thing that will save them. Bites to the muzzle are of the most concern because the swelling can cause some airway obstruction, but in the vast majority of cases they recover fully without too much interventon. The main course of therapy for copperhead bites is strong pain management, close monitoring and antibiotics to try and help with local tissue necrosis. I worked for years with a veterinarian who was also a herptologist and knew more about snakes than most people would ever want to know about anything. But it was a great advantage for our clients when they came in, since we live in such a heavy copperhead area. I can't think of a single case where he felt any antivenom would have been beneficial to a pet we treated.

The most common snakes bites are on the muzzle for dogs, and paws for cats. Which when we think about it makes perfect sense, dogs find something new they want to sniff it, while cats reach out to pat at it.

Katherine
Vet Tech

TOTALLY AGREE WITH THIS POST. :yes::yes::yes: I know that none of us want to deal with dogs/snake bites...but I have never known a dog or horse to die from a copperhead bite. I've also been told that sometimes copperheads will actually dry bite a predator in order to save the venom for food.

I don't want to run across one either, but I'd much rather have to deal with a copperhead than a rattler or a moccassin.

Katherine...out of curiousity, did you guys ever deal with mocassin bites. I've always wondered if they were in the same deadly catagory as rattlers.

I remember watching in horror last summer as my dalmatian wenting galloping past me and immediately stuck his nose down in the grass...then I saw the snake head come up. :eek: Thank god it was just a black rat snake who had this look of "Lady, do you mind getting your $#$%$#$% dog off my back" I called, he came..and snake quickly disappeared.

Jingles for your dog....and I had no idea that antivenom was that pricey.

[SmokenMirrors]

Sorry if I gave the assumption that my Siberian Husky got antivenom, she didn't. It was an option to me but the ER vet said that in most cases with copperheads they don't give it due to the fact that it could cause worse side effects or the animal be allergic to it and then you have a whole new set of issues and problems to deal with.

My total cost to treat Dakota was $665 and some change. To me, a small price to pay to ensure that my girl is okay and will have many more years of great health and no more heat stopping moments for me!!

[Jaegermonster]

Belplosh, I know you and I have already talked about this, but I wanted to come in and tell you again how sorry I am that you had to go through all this. Dejavu and all that.........
You were lucky to have help, and also lucky it was a copperhead.
Poisonous snakes have two kinds of toxins in the venom, hemotoxin and neurotoxin.
Rattlers have both, moccassins and copperheads have the neurotoxin. The hemotoxin is what got Megan, she basically bled to death internally and then arrested.
So you got the lesser of the evils for sure.
Megan got one dose of the antivenin and just that was $800. I didn't care, I just handed them the card, it had a zero balance, I"ll get it paid off.
Sending you many hugs and pats for Dakota, she is such a cool dog.
I'm glad she is feeling better

[GallopHer]

To the OP - I'm glad that your dog is recovering. In case your vet didn't warn you - be prepared for the possiblity of some necrotic flesh in the area of the bite. (It will heal - it just looks awful) While normally not deadly, copperhead bites are nasty.

Best of luck...

[Horsegal984]

As far as pet insurance, I've had the most dealings with VPI. Personally I wouldn't pay for coverage for preventative care, but the emergency coverage seems to be good. It doesn't cover preexisting condtions, and some heriditary conditions( like hip dysplasia in labs). The only real downside is that unlike human insurance you pay all the costs out of pocket, and they send you a check after your claim is approved. So you do still need finances available to cover costs up front.

I've never delt with a moccasin bite, but from what I understand they are inbetween copperheads and rattlers in severity. I think they cause more neuro signs, and generally need more supportive care, but I don't believe they are as deadly as rattlers. Thankfully we're about a hour outside of their range, so here it's either black snakes or copperheads.

Katherine
Vet Tech

[cloudyandcallie]

2Jakes is a snake expert in Florida. She deals with snakes and venom daily.
She can tell you why being bitten by a copperhead is not nearly as bad as being bitten by a coral snake or rattler.
And yes, you may see some necrotic tissue around the area, but better than the alternative. All the snakes are out and about, and horses, dogs, cats and people need to be very careful.
Glad your dog is OK.

[Cielo Azure]

I am really sorry about your dog. I am really glad she is going to make it. We lost a foal to snake bite on the head a while back and it was horrific!

I think the price of anti-venom is expensive because it is an organic product that takes a lot work and risk to produce.

http://ask.yahoo.com/20000803.html

What is involved in making anti-venom:

There is first): growing up and then "milking" a venomous snake, injecting the venom into a horse at incremental doses over a period of time, then collecting serum and finally purifying the serum is a time consuming and specialized process! Requiring both poisionous snake husbandry and horse management skills as well as GLP/GMP processing!

[2Jakes]

Thanks CA...you saved me from having to explain all that...here is some *extra info* for those that are interested.

Snake venoms are very complex blends of toxins...neuro, hemo, cyto, heavy metals, enzymes, proteases...the list goes on and on. Hemotoxins affect the blood and clotting mechanisms, very dangerous...neurotoxins affect the nervous system and shut down respiration, very bad...cytotoxins destroy tissue, bad but not fatal with good management. The Copperhead and Moccasin are in the same family, Agkistrodon, most of their damage damage is from swelling and tissue destruction (cytotoxins). Life threatening if airways are involved but *usually* patient will survive.

Neurotoxins occur in some Timber (or Canebrake) Rattlesnakes and in Coral Snakes.There may be some degree of neuro components in other species but they are usually not significant. Snake venoms can vary widely...among individuals of same species...by age...by size...and geographically.

Snake venom extraction is a job that is undertaken by people who have an amazing amount of dedication, passion, and talent. The ones I know personally somehow manage to keep over 700 VENOMOUS snakes healthy, clean and well fed, extracting venom from each snake every two weeks (some of their animals have been living well "on the line" for 15 years or more). Oh, and did I mention this guy works full time as a commercail pilot to support this "business"...can you say "passion"?

OK and here is the *big* pay off...1g (ONE GRAM) of freeze dried Copperhead venom sells for ~$100 (incidentally, Copperhead venom is an important ingredient in a very effective breast cancer drug!) and he has to "milk" 25 Copperheads to get that amount.

And to top it all off this guy is ANAPHYLACTICALLY ALLERGIC to venom AND antivenom...many of the extractors develop this due to their close and frequent contact with the substance. Once exposed to the venom powder via respiration or injection he has about 3 minutes before his airways close up! Hepa respirator masks are a necessity. And in case you are wondering, he still gets antivenom, in spite of his allergies, in the event of an "accident". Anaphylaxis to antivenom is exactly the same as anaphylaxis to shrimp, peanuts or a bee sting--it IS manageable.

So that is the pre-op...before the equine part of the process to produce antivenom. Now add on (on the other end) FDA approval processes for a drug that is relatively rarely used...that is why it is expensive. We import AV's from other parts of the world, where snakebite is a multiple-times-daily event and it is VERY ~IN~expensive...go figure...

[MikeP]

Not your normal snakebite situation, but I had a Cocker Spaniel dog decide to kill a Copperhead. I know this because I found them both dead, lying about two feet apart in my back yard.

Normally, the snake bites once and the dog quits and survives. I guess Ginger just wouldn't quit and the snake filled her full of poison before she killed it.

I don't know if my current dog got a mild bite or is just cautious, but he barks and points at snakes. He won't approach them closer than about three feet.

[WaningMoon]

Wow, guess its a good thing I live in Vermont where there is not many poisonous snakes. I think all we have is the rare timber rattler. My five dogs have a 1/2 acre fenced in with 4 strands of electric fence. I have had Dobes since 1979 and every single one has just hated snakes, hated them bad. Each day when I pick up the poop in their pen I find snake pieces all over. HOpefully they never grab onto a poisonous one. I've seen it happen, they quickly grab the snake and kill it instantly with a very sharp shake,twist,snap motion. Once it is dead they then continue until it lies there in pieces strewn about. I have more than once been in the area and ended up with this white milky snake gut crap running down my legs, whatever that is, it is gross.

[Belle-aphant]

EEK Snakes. I was in college and had my draft cross up with me and left my mom and her lil arab back in ct (On the edge of the state forest) .She got a call one morn from her neighbor that there was a snake in the lower pasture. Laughing thinking it was a lil snake (weve seen small 1ft coppers and timber rattlers) she walked down there with a big bucket (arab still in the barn with the goats, lonly that her buddy was gone). Gets down there, as the neighbor shows up with a gun... SHes screaming at him until she realizes, this snake is 3ft 8in long!!!!! (measured once dead).. holy crap I wish I was there. Id have pics! That thing would have eaten my arab whole! No wonder why im afraid to trail ride there LOL

[GettingBack]

Wow, guess its a good thing I live in Vermont where there is not many poisonous snakes. I think all we have is the rare timber rattler. My five dogs have a 1/2 acre fenced in with 4 strands of electric fence. I have had Dobes since 1979 and every single one has just hated snakes, hated them bad. Each day when I pick up the poop in their pen I find snake pieces all over. HOpefully they never grab onto a poisonous one. I've seen it happen, they quickly grab the snake and kill it instantly with a very sharp shake,twist,snap motion. Once it is dead they then continue until it lies there in pieces strewn about. I have more than once been in the area and ended up with this white milky snake gut crap running down my legs, whatever that is, it is gross.

Unfortunately, my Dobe nearly stepped on a black rat snake, twice, and didn't even notice it was there until I pointed out that that was NOT a stick. Then he wouldn't go near it. He's a dope, I'm wondering what my female would do if confronted with the same situation.

I'm hoping that mine would be better about noticing and leaving poisonous ones alone, since they didn't even notice the beneficial one (I love black rat snakes and am hoping one shows up to eat the chippies that have been destroying my garden!!!)

[cloudyandcallie]

uh oh, 2Jakes, do they use horses like they do with tetanus?
And how long does the anti-venom last if refrigerated or frozen or whatever? Does it deteriorate fast? The tentanus vaccine has a long life.

[2Jakes]

Antivenom has a long shelf life...even after the "expiration date"...it is estimated that it loses only 1% a year in efficacy...so it's still well worth using years after the date on the bottle. Of course, that is provided it is stored properly (preferably in a fridge for its whole life).

They use horses to make antivenom becuase they are big and the producers can take a lot of blood...actually they take serum, return the red cells and replace the volume with fluids. The horses that produce antivenom are usually very well kept and unstressed...the producers want the best immune response possible so happy healthy horses are a necessity. One antivenom that is produced for North American Pit Vipers (Cro-Fab) is sheep origin.

[Sing Mia Song]

There's a big debate in the medical community (both veterinary and human) over whether antivenin is worthwhile to use. I've known vet who swear by it and others who prefer steroids, IV antibiotics and fluids.

When I worked emergency (1997-2004), the price for a vial of antivenin ranged from $325 to $600, depending on availability. For a while we couldn't get it at all and had to buy it from human hospitals at a huge markup on an as-needed basis.

I know that emergency clinics get a bad rap for prices, but I remember many weekday nights when we saw few or no clients, and certainly didn't make enough money to cover the utilities, much less our salaries. The caliber of vets and techs in an emergency clinic is generally much more advanced than at a day clinic--it has to be, because you need highly skilled staff who can do critical care, advanced anesthesia and surgery, plus work nights, weekends, and holidays. And there are many, many days when the pace is just relentless, but the check bounces, or the client puts a stop on their credit card, or they abandon their pet, and the clinic is never able to collect. Nonetheless, we had to staff every shift like it was going to be crazy busy, then send people home on call if it looked quiet--only to call them back as soon as the surgical bloat walked in the door.

[cloudyandcallie]

I don't know how they worked it, but years ago the emergency hospital in Cobb Co., next to Atlanta, had funds to pay for emergencies that did not have owners. I adopted a puppy who had been hit by a car and the guy who hit him took him to the emergency center. He was treated, he had permanent injuries to his nerves and ligaments in a foreleg and a broken hind leg, but no charge. I did call the vet and tell him that Raleigh Oliver had been adopted.
We need emergency vets where we don't have our vets available after hours. Briarcliff in Atlanta was great because in the middle of the night we got our own vets in emergencies. Ditto Edisto Equine.
I don't know much about snake bite treatments, my cat was bitten many years ago when I was a child and I know he stayed at the vet's, open on Sunday, for 3 or 4 days and got treatments, and he recovered from a snake bite on his nose.
Everything is expensive. A good vet is a godsent in an emergency and worth the $.

[SmokenMirrors]

Oh please understand, I am very grateful for all the emergency vet and staff did for me and Dakota Monday night. I sent them a very heart felt thank you the other day so they know they are appreciated for their efforts.

Dakota is almost back to normal, she does still have some slight swelling where the bite occurred but so far, no necrotic tissue or damage is apparent. So, my regular vet will call me again on Monday to see how she is doing and may want me to run her up to the clinic just so he can take a once over on her to be sure and give her a clean bill of health.

Now that I have lost 5 years off my life, got many, many more grey hair, it is nice to see her back to normal for the most part.

[Jaegermonster]

I am so glad that Dakota is doing so much better. It probably is a good idea to get some bloodwork and check her liver functions etc.

Re the antinvenin: when Megan was bitten by the rattlesnake 2 weeks ago sunday, she got one dose of it and it was $800 just for that, and they were preparing to start the second when she arrested. My overall bill was much more than that, but I would have paid 3x that if megan would have lived.

[SmokenMirrors]

Jaegermonster...we would of racked up quite a bill had our outcome been worse as well, I was fully prepared to max out our credit card if it meant that Dakota had a better outcome. Like you, my horses and my dogs are part of my family, they have given me so much more than I can ever repay and I will do whatever it takes to ensure their health is taken care of.

That is the sad part about this, some just don't see animals as pets, but as property and something to take what they can from then throw them away or sell them down the river.

However, thanks to you and a few others, you were my rock when I stumbled and was in a blind panic...voice of reason and all that for me...thank you! :yes: I am very very blessed with friends like you and so glad we know one another too...

[cloudyandcallie]

OP I am glad that your dog survived and will recover, but it is sad that the lab in Florida did not survive. Different snakes, different venom, but both owners tried to save their dogs. Just wish that both had survived their ordeals.

[Boomer]

So sorry you and your dog had such a traumatic walk! The good news is that of all the posionous snakes out there, the copperhead is the BEST one for your dog to tangle with! While copperhead bites are extremely painful and need treatment, they are typically not deadly bites. There is really no need for antivemon therapy with copperheads, where as with a lot of other pit vipers it's the only thing that will save them. Bites to the muzzle are of the most concern because the swelling can cause some airway obstruction, but in the vast majority of cases they recover fully without too much interventon. Katherine
Vet Tech

My male farm mutt has been bitten by a copperhead three times - guess he isn't too bright, or just too slow! Once on the leg, the other two times on the muzzle. He swelled and drooled, but my local vet said to watch him and if he starts having breathing problems, bring him in. Otherwise I removed his collar so the facial swelling could move. It didn't even stop him from eating his food and he really didn't seem horribly uncomfortable.

[Chester's Mom]

I've been in my house 10 years now and guess what? Copperhead bite on one of my rescue dogs this weekend :no:. Poor Farouk. Our rescue volunteers at our vet's office some days and his is the third copperhead bite in the last two weeks.

OP, so glad your doggie is doing better. Mine is good too...we're also on the watch for necrotic tissue. Jaeger, I continue to ache for you and your lost girl. I am so sorry. {{hugs}}

[SweetDreams]

OP I feel your pain, my 10lb Silky pup got hit by a copperhead approx. a month ago. Right in our driveway. Lived here for 11 years and never saw one before. Took him to emergency vet and yes it was very expensive but he survived. The flesh on his arm just sloffed off, it looked horrible. Had to apply meds and bandage everyday for three weeks. Don't know if his hair will grow back on his arm or not...just very thankful he's still with me. News said at the time that there had been 35+ copperhead bites reported. I live in VA. west of the Richmond area! Keep your eyes open...

[Kaytaz86]

I'm not super educated on the topic, but our local vet clinic offers not an antivenin, but a "preventative" type vaccination. Cost $17 (you have to booster the first year). This is for Rattlesnakes (I'm in WY), so I don't know if they have such a thing for other snake types. They have had really good results with it, said they don't have to give antivenin stuff to vaccinated dogs, usually just send them home on some antibiotics and pain meds. Basically it's $17 insurance...sounds like a deal to me!