My puppy's run in with a snake

[scmhogg]

We had a tough weekend here. As you may recall, from past posts, we have had standard poodles for many years. We lost our old male last year. As suggested by some of you here, we got a puppy at the end of September. This puppy, Marsh [short for Marshmallow] is now 10 month's old and weighs 65 pounds.

Marsh has turned out to be the sweetest dog we have ever had. So much so we went back to San Diego to get his sister who hadn't sold.

Saturday evening Marsh came in the house from our backyard, and we noticed his face looked swollen. The right side of his face and neck were three times normal size. We immediately though Rattlesnake bite, as our house backs up to wildlands.

We rushed him to the 24 hour emergency vet about 15 miles away. He was treated with antivenin and placed in an hyperbaric chamber.

Two days and $3k later, Marsh is home with us and it in good shape. The antivenin alone costs $750 a vial. Marsh was bitten twice and the fang marks were well over an inch apart. The vet said that it was a big snake.

It looks like the rapid and comprehensive treatment prevented any permanent damage. We are sure glad to have our Marsh back home.

Steve

[jackellis]

Man that's some vet bill. Almost as much as treating a human!

Glad it all turned out well. We're quite attached to our cats so we understand why you wanted Marsh treated at almost any cost.

[JR]

Marsh was bitten twice and the fang marks were well over an inch apart. The vet said that it was a big snake.

Yikes! I'm glad it turned out well.

Snakes freak me out. Luckily, I haven't seen many here, in very similar circumstances yours, Steve. We've had just about everything else in our yard, though!

JR

[Ed62]

Sorry to hear about the snake bite, but glad the pup is doing well. When we get attached to them, we do whatever we can to make them healthy.

Have you considered health insurance for him? I know it isn't cheap, but living with snakes might make it worth a look.

Ed

[cabinetman]

Marsh really had a close call. Good thing you were right on top of it. I can sympathize with the cost, as incredible as it is. I had to put off buying a new vehicle for almost two years due to one of our German Shepherds needing 3 orthopedic surgeries of about $7000.

It always seems like the immediate attention stuff happens only during "emergency" hours...ka ching, ka ching.

Hope Marsh is doing OK, and gets over the trauma.
.

[atgcpaul]

Wow! That sounds like some dog you've got there. I'm glad he's OK now.
Just curious, did he seem calm when he came back in or panicked? I know
I wouldn't have been calm if it had been me. Animals are pretty amazing.

[gerti]

Scary, glad to hear the pup is doing better! Sorry about your wallet...

[scmhogg]

JR,

The emergency Vet is in TO, on Moorpark by Arboles. Marsh was the third rattlesnake bite they had that day.

atgcpaul,

Marsh was incredibly calm. He never cried or yelped. If LOML hadn't spotted the incredible swelling, he might have laid down and died. The right side of his face looked like a Shar-Pei.

Steve

[Pappy]

Went through a rattler bite with one of my Siberians several years ago. The swelling is what the wife noticed, too. Antivenom and an overnight stay for observation, then several weeks to stop impersonating a Jack Russel Terrier....

Glad it worked out for your's, too.

[cabinetman]

Marsh was incredibly calm. He never cried or yelped. If LOML hadn't spotted the incredible swelling, he might have laid down and died. The right side of his face looked like a Shar-Pei.

Steve

We had a German Shepherd that one night was brought in from outside, and what seemed like about 10 minutes, her face swelled and she too looked like a Shar-Pei. Took her to emergency Vet and it turned out that it could have been some type of insect bite that she was allergic to. She got a shot of Benedryl, and we were advised to administer O-T-C Benadryl for several days. It cleared up. After that we've always kept a supply of Benadryl in the house.
.

[BrazosJake]

Yeah, my Brit had an encounter with Crotalus Atrox a few years ago, right on the nose. Fortunately, it was a small one, and he's a big dog. The vet kept insisting it had to have been a copperhead (happened on my back porch), until I presented her with the headless carcass.

[mudder]

I'm glad to hear that your pooch is ok.

We had to put our Boxer down last Friday because of pancreatic cancer.