Glad to hear she’s going to recover. Venomous and Non-Venomous Snakes. Top Answer. - Causes, My Dog Keeps Licking Her Private Area - All Possible Reasons. Keep us updated! Here are some tips for what to do if a non-venomous snake bites you: First, you need to make absolutely sure that the snake that bit you was, in fact, non-venomous. But we’ll begin by explaining exactly what you need to do if your dog is bitten by a snake. Do not apply a tourniquet. In order to know the severity of the wound, we must first know whether the snake is venomous or not. Venomous snake bites may appear similar, but will be accompanied rather quickly by swelling, redness, and oozing. Contact your trusted vet to explain your what happened and schedule a check-up. In some cases, it may still be possible to see the paired puncture wounds from the fangs in the center of the wound. In dogs bitten by a non-venomous snake, swelling and bruising around the bite are the most common clinical signs. Cats are twice as likely to survive a venomous snake bite than dogs, and the reasons behind this strange phenomenon have been revealed by University of Queensland research. If you’re looking for some more survival tips, check out this ultimate survival guide ! Snakes generally only bite in self-defence, so normally bites occur when a snake is stepped on or disturbed by your dog. They will try to aim for your dog's neck or face, however in the commotion, they may miss and bite your dog's foot. Keeping a dog leashed and under control at all times during walks and hikes may prevent perilous encounters with venomous snakes. 10 Comments. Stay calm. For example, large dogs often suffer milder symptoms than smaller dogs do following a bite, as they have more body mass and blood volume. If your dog’s walks are limited to city parks and streets, he probably won’t encounter many snakes, so it probably won’t make sense to vaccinate him against venom. Antivenom is often very effective for treating snakebite. Most of these snakes have relatively mild venom, which doesn’t cause serious problems for large mammals, and because they have fangs located at the rear of their mouth, they have a bit of trouble envenomating large animals. Apart from a scuffle around gathering food, a snake has no reason to bite other creatures. Snakebite is a relatively rare phenomenon that is much less common than people suppose. If you suspect your dog has been attacked by a snake, head over to the vet clinic immediately. Personally, I haven’t had my pooch vaccinated and I spend lots of time trail hiking with her and exploring wilderness areas. Dogs are very curious animals, when we take them out on walks they want to discover their environment. Even to the trained eye, reactions to a snake bite can vary and are determined by a range of factors. Fortunately, we vaccinate our dog…who was bitten yesterday and has a right hind limb swollen to unbelievable proportions. But you’ll have to weigh the pros and cons yourself. When the dog is too curious, or too hardheaded, to leave a snake alone, the dog may be bitten. Well, we live in Montana and have many rattlesnakes. And it is easy for the average person who does not live among snakes in nature nearby to assume that non-venomous snake bites are harmless. If the bite was from a pit-viper, you should also be able to identify two large puncture wounds from the fangs. We gave her benadryl, and lots of bacon with lard. Unlike non-venomous water snakes, who usually flee at the first sign of trouble, cottonmouths are typically a little bolder and more likely to stand their ground. Apply a flat tourniquet above the bite. Your dog might suffer from dizziness and vomiting. Unfortunately, copperheads often live in close proximity to suburban areas and cities, which brings them into frequent contact with people and their dogs. They typically sleep through the day and become active at dawn and dusk. For the most part, the four basic groups above represent all of the dangerously venomous snakes in the United States. Fortunately, a venomous snake may bite and not inject venom (dry bites occur in about 20-30% of pit viper bites and in about 50% of all of coral snakebites). Most of the snakes that have non-lethal venom still produce a substance that can cause negative symptoms. Not knowing what the heck they are, dogs may feel inclined to walk over, lean in, and start sniffing. Many people ask themselves, how do I know if my dog got bit by a snake? Puppies that live in rural areas often encounter snakes in their outdoor exploration. But fortunately, copperheads have relatively mild venom and they are generally rather shy and retiring. 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