First aid procedure for a dog snake bite?
My dog was bit by a copperhead. Common cure? What to do?
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By: Erika Raines El Segundo, CA
Replied on 04/19/2011There are no home remedies for poisonous snake bites such as Copperhead bites in dogs. The only cure is an injection of antivenin which your veterinarian or an emergency veterinarian in the area may be able to provide. Sometimes snake bites are treated with supportive care only and not antivenin, but this supportive care, which includes close monitoring, pain medication and airway support, needs to happen in a hospital environment. While on your way to an emergency clinic or your veterinarian, you can help your dog by providing airway support if necessary. If major swelling occurs around the throat and your dog is not able to breath, you can perform an emergency tracheotomy similar to the procedure in humans. You will need to cut down to the wind pipe on the front of the dogs neck and use a hollow, tubular structure to insert between the raised rings that you can feel in that area. This will provide an emergency means for your dog to breath while you are on the way to veterinary care.
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