• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

Well Crap

A friend and I were out hunting Hungarian Partridge near the Madison River west of Bozeman and one of the dogs got nailed by a prairie rattlesnake. A 90 mph ride to town got us to the emergency vet hospital in about 40 minutes. Hoping for the best for the little guy. He’s a 10 month old pointer.
 
Ask your vet about vaccinating your dogs. It doesn't make the dog immune but it helps slow the effects down so the dog arrives for treatment stronger and more likely to survive.
 
Ask your vet about vaccinating your dogs. It doesn't make the dog immune but it helps slow the effects down so the dog arrives for treatment stronger and more likely to survive.
The pup had his first vaccine around the first of August so he has that going for him. We decided to administer the antivenin about 2 hours after the bite as the symptoms were suggesting that there was a significant dose of venom in the bite. His left cheek doubled in size in about an hour.
 
The pup had his first vaccine around the first of August so he has that going for him. We decided to administer the antivenin about 2 hours after the bite as the symptoms were suggesting that there was a significant dose of venom in the bite. His left cheek doubled in size in about an hour.
Get The Vet to pump the dog full of Vitamin C to give him a chance
 
The pup had his first vaccine around the first of August so he has that going for him. We decided to administer the antivenin about 2 hours after the bite as the symptoms were suggesting that there was a significant dose of venom in the bite. His left cheek doubled in size in about an hour.
Keep us posted. I thought about this little pup all night.
 
Well the patient seems to be on the mend. He’s got a dandy of a lump on the side of his face but he will certainly pull through . He’s still not feeling so hot right now but he’s home.
 

Attachments

  • 159AE50E-549B-4FA7-B7E5-7CCE4AB067E8.jpeg
    159AE50E-549B-4FA7-B7E5-7CCE4AB067E8.jpeg
    432.5 KB · Views: 71
My GWHP got bit in NM while coyote hunting, the vet gave him massive doses of Benadryl, that much would have killed me. He survived.

Surprisingly I've seen more snakes in MT hunting than in NM and AZ
 
my Jack Russel terrier has been bit 4 separate times, even with rattle snake avoidance class/training, if it moves, she was on it. the most important thing you can give them right away is Benadryl. as has been said, the vaccine buys time to get to the antivenom. my dog was left with some permanent scaring on her face because of how big she swelled up. the 4th time I did not take her to the vet, enough is enough, she survived just fine. Benadryl, amoxicillin, prednisone. she is now old, blind and deaf, and I keep thinking as she wonders around our 5 acres bumping into things when she will bump noses with another rattler. good luck with your dog
 
Last edited:
Poor guy, I hope he fully recovers. Unfortunately they always get bit on the face which is about the worst place.
 
is there something special about western diamondbacks or pararie rattlers or pointers? Down here in the south we hunt rabbits with beagles and they get bit all the time by water mocassisns, copperheads, timber rattlers, SOP is give them Benedryl and a few weeks rest. I only know of one that died and she was pretty old.
 
I had a horse get bit on the nose by a rattler. I had to put a hose pipe in the horses nose for him to breath by because they can not breathe through their mouth.

Best Wishes for your dog.
 
I think he going to be OK. He may very well develop a seroma or a small access at the bite site that requires draining, but that will be a minor problem in the whole scope of things.
 
A friend and I were out hunting Hungarian Partridge near the Madison River west of Bozeman and one of the dogs got nailed by a prairie rattlesnake. A 90 mph ride to town got us to the emergency vet hospital in about 40 minutes. Hoping for the best for the little guy. He’s a 10 month old pointer.
I hope he gets through. I used to live in that area. Man-O'-Man are there some rattlesnakes in Montana! The thickest I saw them was east of Lewistown, just over the Little Divide. We, the company I worked for, built a house for a guy straight north of Tiegen. Seemed like there was a rattlesnake every ten square feet. Good thing I wasn't trying to train a dog out there.
Not many around Boulder when I got the dog, (springer). About 40-50 miles North of where you were.
 
Ok, here’s the update. First off the dog is not mine, he belongs to my hunting g partner. I saw the little fellow around noon today and I have to say he’s made a huge recovery. Less than 48 hours after the bite, the swelling in his face has mostly resolved. He was swollen down into his neck and shoulder but that has lessened substantially, leaving a bunch of stretched out young skin. That will get back where it should be in a week or so. He’s not the ball of fire that he normally is but he’s back to doing puppy things. Picking up sticks and moving around pretty well.
 

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Forum statistics

Threads
166,820
Messages
2,223,700
Members
79,910
Latest member
Kenhughes94
Back
Top