Bringing this topic back up as snake season is upon us (in Texas) and there is some really good information in here. Having just gone through a rattlesnake bite with my English Springer, I've learned that rattlesnake bites bleed and copperhead/cottonmouth bites do not. My dogs had been bit before but obviously something other than a Rattler. 13 days later he's got a huge hole in his muzzle. As for the 45 horses out here I'll make sure that we've got a first aid kit for bites. Thanks for the great information!

I don't know much about it but during our recent experience of Evelyn's snake bite I read all I could while sitting in the hospital waiting for her to stop being a wimp so we could get back to the ranch. Two doctors and other medical staff told us and I read that the treatment for bite by all 3 of the indigineous pit vipers was the same. The circumstances of her bite pointed to a copperhead but could have possible been one of the other 2.

Here is a new use for MSM.................. Back east the MSM is used as an anti-venom. When a snake bites a horse or a dog they cannot tell you what king of snake did it and if the wrong anti-venom is used to treat it, the animal will be killed. Instead they super saturate distilled water with MSM and inject it into a few places around the bite. It locks up the foreign proteins and flushes them out.

On Thursday, June 14th, I went out to do my morning feeding. I noticed one of my Thoroughbred mares (5 y/o) was just standing in a corner of her pen, not acting herself. Normally she would have nickered, threw her head up, reared & bucked, backed her ears and charged at my yearling in the pen next to her.... her normal ritual before she gets fed. Naturally I went to see why she was acting so depressed. As she walked up to me, I saw that one entire side of her nose, and about half way around the bottom of her jaw had a large amount of swelling, and it was working it’s way up towards her eye. I did see puncture marks on one side of her nose, with yuck oozing out of it. Of course since I had just killed a huge cotton mouth water moccasin at my place the day before, and we had very heavy rain overnight (2-3 inches), I knew what happened to her. I put my hand in front of her nostrils to feel how much force of air was coming out. I knew she was still breathing real good. I called the vet, told them to have some medicine waiting that I would be there in about 5 minutes. Thank God I bought a place that is less than two miles from the vets office. The medicine that he had pre-mixed, and waiting for me was penicillin and Flucort. They told me to give it IM (inter-muscular) twice a day. Flucort is a steroid anti- inflammatory (an injectable Prednisone, according to one website). I requested a Tetanus shot as well. I have only had this mare about 3-4 months, and wanted to be darn sure that she was covered for tetanus, as snake bites are very nasty even without the poison. I rushed home, gave her the shots, and within about 2 hours, the swelling was down considerably. She still had some swelling, but not like it was. I personally have never used Flucort, never had a reason to. It got in her system (via IM), and reduced the swelling considerably in a matter 2 hours, and has kept the swelling down. This is not the first time that I had a snake bit horse (live in the south in the woods), but the first time I have used the Flucort. This is some remarkable medicine!!! It is only 2-1/2 days later, and there is not much swelling at all now. Her nose is still very tender, and will most likely rot out around the bite site. That alone will probably require 3-4 weeks more of doctoring to prevent infection. (NOTE: Be very gentle putting a halter on a horse with a snake bite, IT HURTS!!). This is something I cut n pasted from another website, that sells Flucort with an RX, telling the uses of it: ------------------------------------------------- DRUG INFORMATION Flumethasone Injection 0.5 mg/ml is available in 100 ml vials; Flucort Solution. Approved for use in dogs, cats, and horses. Injectable corticosteroid for musculoskeletal conditions due to inflammation. Supportative therapy in: acute mastitis, metritis, shipping fever, pneumonia and founder. Flucort is an Rx injection in equine, canine, feline species for various rheumatic, allergic, dermatologic, and other disease states which are known to be responsible to the anti-inflammatory corticoids ---------------------------------------------- I just wanted to share this to let y’all know of one other medicine that I do know, from experience, works wonders for a snake bit horse. As everyone else has mentioned, be sure to talk to your own vet.

Snakebite/wives I wish I had thought about the garden hose method prior to taking Evelyn to the hospital. Those in the medical fields may not blink at the cost of medical treatment for snake bites but it is bloody expensive. In the old days when I was learning the ins and outs of legal liability and law suits, we used to joke about the best course of action if you hit a pedristian with a automobile. Look back in your rear view mirror and if they were still wiggling, back up and hit em again. It was cheaper that way. I don't know how to apply that theory to dealing with a copperhead but a big snake pit comes to mind.

Great info. I think you need vet RX for the dexamethasone, Decadron. It is used sometimes for people for allergic reactions. Good to know this info for anyone who lives in snake country. It can also be given IV. About the penicillin... seems there are TWO kinds. The one u usually get at feed store takes 24 hours to start working, ie long acting. Have to get the fast acting from the vet. Not sure how the shelf life is for these. But if one lived out in the boonies and it was not more than a couple of years, then I would use it under those circumstances. It may loose some potency but not a lot. Perhaps some pharmacy or doc types can give more info. I lost a halfArab pinto due to nasal congestion cuz I used the feed store penicillin which did not work fast enough. She was not a snake bite but had snotty nose that went from clear/gray to green in 24 hours and died 24 hours after the green snot appeared and I started the penicillin shots. BUT in over 20 yrs that has happened once!! (No other horses had it. I isolated her and the purebred filly with her was fine. Usually the purebreds are the one who have that kind of problem. go figure!! they are horses..lol)

the dex also works well for dogs that have been snake bit ,inject sub q at the nap of the neck, and the garden hose trick is a must if you don't have anti inflamatory's handy, for those of you who can inject IV vs. IM it will get into the blood stream quicker that way on the horses .

I have always heard if you think your horse has been snakebite around the face you should stick a piece of garden hose or some other type of hose up his nostril or nostrils so the swelling will not suffocate him. Double

Deanie, The Dexamethazone is a steriod type anti-inflamatory from what I know of it. It is used frequently for different types of injuries, and it's main purpose is to reduce swelling and inflamation. The swelling from a snakebite can be internal as well as what you see on the outside. Because horses can only breathe through the nose, any swelling of the face, nose, or neck can suffocate them if not treated. As I said before, ask your own vet, he may recommend another type of drug, but I know this one works well and in the nick of time for me. Jacquie

CC3....Thanks for the info and the heads up. That was tragic what happened to Evelyn, but I would also definitly hate to loose my horse to something like that as well. A simple bite with deadly consequences. I usually keep penicilin on hand but will definitely check into getting the other one as well. Thanks again! NC/Deanie