My English Bulldog was bitten by a cottonmouth 3 times tonight. We rushed her to the vet probably within 10 minutes of it happening but the Vet said 3 strikes is a lot even for a big dog. She forewarned me that this is life threatening but told us to go home but we could call overnight to check in. We're scared to death.

http://b1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/00454/14/62/454122641_l.jpg

Hoping for the best for you

So sorry to hear this. Your dog will be in my prayers.

I hope your dog pulls through. Good luck.

Oh man, that sucks. Really sorry to hear about this Flasch. Hope everything turns out all right.

Very sad. :(

Hope everything turns out alright.

.OMg, I am praying for the best


Molly and I were just talking tonight abou how an animal is a family member. I pray yours pulls through

Hope everything turns out alright.

Oh, shiii

Yours is definitely my favorite "dog of FOFC" so I definitely hope your dog is okay.


Poisonous snakes in a residential neighborhood backyard? I definitely should re-think my desire to move to florida.

:(

Good luck :(

I hope she'll be okay. :(

Brutal....Cute dog...hope it makes a speedy recovery!

Prayers & best wishes for you all.

Hoping for the best.

:( :( :(

Fingers crossed and prayers sent.

:(

Best of luck for a full recovery!

:(... This is one of my biggest fears...

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your dog.

Thoughts are with her... I have 3 Jack Russell's so I know how attached one can be with their pets.

Our dog was bit here in Atlanta, apparently there are snakes in the Tucker-ish area. It was pretty stressful but she pulled through ok. She's about 30 lbs and we got her to the vet pretty quickly. Even with 3 strikes, it's unlikely that your dog received 3 big shots of venom, but I'm hoping everything turns out ok. I'm sure they had her on an IV last night with tons of crap in it. Hope she makes it through the ordeal.

Hope it goes all right. I just took my cat in for a more routine surgery, and I was still pretty scared. It's tough.

Oh that's awful, I hope your dog is ok. What a cutie :(

I just went to move her from the overnight ER to the Internal Vet next door. Her stats were all over the board last night so after her #'s got in line due to the first vial of anti-venin (i though it was anti-venom but it's not, hmmmm) she spiked an hour later and they had to give her a second vial. It's crazy because this is the one place that has anti-venin in stock in Jacksonville and theyre down to one vial left. Anti-venin is also on backorder!!! We acted fast and the vet thinks she'll make it but nothing is for sure yet. We still have to worry about internal clotting, infection, necrosis, and a few other things that Ive forgotten about. I saw her and she looked beaten up but at least she was smiling, in a bulldog sense.

Wow...sounds like things are heading in the right direction. Hoping for the best...

awwwwww. Thanks for the update flash. Still hoping things will be alright...i can't imagine how hard that must be.

the one time we lost a pet I was like 8 or something and it happened in the middle of the night so I never even knew until the morning.

the second dog we took a stray in from animal control and returned him after about a year or so because he was aggressive and we were moving (dog actually pulled away from my sister and bit the mailman on the thigh). Parents were like "yeah we're not taking him to california with us."

Wow. We elected not to give anti-venin because 1) our vets didn't have any, 2) it's the same stuff they use on humans, 3) we have no idea what bit her, as there are lots of different snakes around here and 4) it was crazy money per vile. They gave her tons of benadryl, antibiotics and more. We had to basically keep her sedated for a week so she wouldn't run around too much (she loves to run and play) and feed her all sorts of antibiotics. It was pretty amazing, the area was dark purple and swollen for a few days, the vets were worried about necrosis. Then one day we woke up and it was still swollen but the color was back to normal. Two days later there was nothing really there. The vets speculated that she just got a small bit of venom, as most snakes don't empty it out in a defensive bite. Good luck.

Keeping your dog and you in my prayers...please keep us posted. Our animals are definitely our family so I can only imagine how you are feeling. Bulldogs are strong, she'll pull through :)

Ugh, horrible, sorry to hear that. I hope your dog's going to be okay.

Cute dog. Best wishes to you all.

My thoughts are with your family, including your dog. What's her name?

The most heartwrenching part of the situation, to me at least, is that you know that despite all the pain and discomfort if your dog were able to make a choice between the cottonmouth biting her again or biting you she would choose to be bitten again. That is why dogs rule.

I hope everything works out for the best.

her name's Magnolia but we call her "Nola".

thanks for all the well wishes. I call in an hour or so for another update. We're going to be mothballing the hell out of the back yard tonight.

her name's Magnolia but we call her "Nola".

thanks for all the well wishes. I call in an hour or so for another update. We're going to be mothballing the hell out of the back yard tonight.

Keep us posted Flasch

2:15pm

nothing new, she is alert and somewhat playful.

She's swollen but that is to be expected.

They are keeping an eye on her for signs that something could be going wrong. At that time they would order blood work to see if we've entered a new stage of this.

Otherwise things are stable which is good.

next update around 500pm unless they call first.

2:15pm

nothing new, she is alert and somewhat playful.

She's swollen but that is to be expected.

They are keeping an eye on her for signs that something could be going wrong. At that time they would order blood work to see if we've entered a new stage of this.

Otherwise things are stable which is good.

next update around 500pm unless they call first.

Good stuff!

About a month ago my dog got stung by something on one of his front elbows. I have no idea what it was, but it left the stinger and his elbow swelled up pretty quickly. He wasn't in too much pain, but was limping around for a while and kept his paw off the ground. I managed to pull the stinger out and by the next morning the swelling was gone and he was fine.

For those first 30 minutes or so, I was pretty nervous (for no good reason). Can't imagine what I'd be like in your situation.

My first time reading this thread. I hope everything continues to improve and turns out well.

http://www.floridaconservation.org/pubs/fl-wild/moccasin.gif

Here is what the little sulfur-smelling bastard looks like!!

creepy

445pm

No changes and she is sleeping peacefully (not dead) and theyre transferring her back to the overnight vet (next door) for more evaluation. Then tomorrow back to the daytime vet. They did mention that tomorrow they'll likely check her blood for coagulation but if that is smooth then she may be going home tomorrow!! Im going to go visit her tonight but Im exhausted.

flasch...did you get the snake?

Hopefully if her coagulation stays ok and she responds to the IV antibiotics, you can take her home. Be prepared for lots of antibiotics as snake venom usually contains nasty shit in the form of bacteria and such. Ask your vet for some Acepromazine to keep her calm for a bit too, because she'll be so excited to be home but you don't want her to be too active.

flasch...did you get the snake?

killed it, chopped its head off and then threw it back into the hellish ditch from which it came!!

killed it, chopped its head off and then threw it back into the hellish ditch from which it came!!

WOOT!!!!:D

Hope she comes through ok.

killed it, chopped its head off and then threw it back into the hellish ditch from which it came!!

And did you place the head on a stake, to warn all future incursions will be meet with the same fate?


I hope your dog will be ok.

Hang in there Flasch, definitely pulling for her.

Edit to add: Nice work on the chop job :)

Fingers still crossed (toes too), hoping for more good news tomorrow.

killed it, chopped its head off and then threw it back into the hellish ditch from which it came!!

The only thing I might have done differently is fry up the carcass and feed it to the dog.

As someone else said, with 3 strikes, it's hard to believe any of them delivered too much venom. I'm optimistic for the best.

Flasch,

I wish you and Nola the best, I have been hanging in for buying an english bulldog for awhile, and I am a big pet fan as I know what they mean to everyone.

Keep us up to date,

killed it, chopped its head off and then threw it back into the hellish ditch from which it came!!

Hoping for the best man, just read the thread. Glad you killed the bastard. I've got 2 dogs and an 18 months old, and I've gotten to where I'll check the backyard frequently for snakes. I hate the freaking things, and if one messed with my dogs I'd kill it, if it messed with my kid I'd kill it and everyone of it's kind. Glad the dog seems to be pulling through.

Flasch!

I'm sorry to hear about you pup! Glad to hear she's doing better.

She's in my prayers.

Just read the thread, hoping things continue to improve for Nola.....Keeping you all in my thoughts. Hang in there Buddy.

900am

good things this morning. She is awake and enjoying all of the people. Her swelling has already started to go down which is, they say, a direct result of how fast we reacted. Im ecstatic that in this time of emergency we (me, Ashley, and 3R) reacted so efficiently and well. They started driving before even knowing where to go and I called them with directions when I had tracked down an open ER. Theyre sending bloodwork off today to check coagulation but if all goes smoothly theyre considering sending her home tonight!!

Awesome update, thanks Flasch. And Go 'Nola.

900am

good things this morning. She is awake and enjoying all of the people. Her swelling has already started to go down which is, they say, a direct result of how fast we reacted. Im ecstatic that in this time of emergency we (me, Ashley, and 3R) reacted so efficiently and well. They started driving before even knowing where to go and I called them with directions when I had tracked down an open ER. Theyre sending bloodwork off today to check coagulation but if all goes smoothly theyre considering sending her home tonight!!

w00f!

Nice!!

great to hear!!!

great news :)

Just saw this and read the thread. Good news so far - I hope she pulls through Flasch!

...and here I thought that my dog rubbing his head in cat crap was a problem.... Nothing like giving a dog a bath at 6:00 AM on a work day. Ugh.

Great news.

I have a very small dog and have worried about snakes in the area.

Great news Flasch. My wife and I are praying for your pup...keep everyone updated!

Sorry to hear this, i have a dog too and can't imagine the drama it would be to lose her. Hoping the best.

Glad she's doing better Flasch.

Just saw this and read the thread. Good news so far - I hope she pulls through Flasch!

...and here I thought that my dog rubbing his head in cat crap was a problem.... Nothing like giving a dog a bath at 6:00 AM on a work day. Ugh.

They do love the catshit, don't they? I had to get one of those litter box covers that the dog can't get into to get him to stop eating it.

Great to hear Nola is doing better Flasch! You guys getting him the antibiotics and antihistimines were crucial to recovery.

Antivenin isn't probably necessary. Dogs have incredible healing powers when it comes to bites, stings etc. The main cause for worry would be bacteria especially at and around the site of the wound. The vet who recommended Benadryl and antibiotics was spot on and probably saved you a load of cash. Keeping him still and calm was also necessary, which the quick administration of Benadryl helped. I echo Mike in sedative administration for a few days.

As for the person with Jack Russell Terriers they are particularly ferocious snake killers. Their presence alone is a major snake deterrent. Dogs in general are good snake deterrents as well as cats (kill the rodents/food source).

Glad your Bully is okay!

300pm

Doctor is discharging her to me at 430ish!! Woohoo!! the Bitch is back :)

Well if Antivenin wasn't necessary I'd be shocked cuz they ended up using two vials on her. Whatever. Im not complaining and whatever they had to do Im glad they did it. Initial response from the vet the night of the attack was that usually 3 bites and the dog dies, so to be coming home 2 days later is AWESOME!!!

300pm

Woohoo!! the Bitch is back :)



Nice :D

So happy she's coming back!

Awesome news!

They do love the catshit, don't they? I had to get one of those litter box covers that the dog can't get into to get him to stop eating it.


Yeah, go figure. Must be the food.


Good to hear you dog is better Flasch.

I just went to move her from the overnight ER to the Internal Vet next door. Her stats were all over the board last night so after her #'s got in line due to the first vial of anti-venin (i though it was anti-venom but it's not, hmmmm) she spiked an hour later and they had to give her a second vial. It's crazy because this is the one place that has anti-venin in stock in Jacksonville and theyre down to one vial left. Anti-venin is also on backorder!!! We acted fast and the vet thinks she'll make it but nothing is for sure yet. We still have to worry about internal clotting, infection, necrosis, and a few other things that Ive forgotten about. I saw her and she looked beaten up but at least she was smiling, in a bulldog sense.

Sorry, it sounded like they didn't use the anitvenin in your earlier post and I was trying to make you feel better about them not having it on hand.


300pm

Doctor is discharging her to me at 430ish!! Woohoo!! the Bitch is back :)

Well if Antivenin wasn't necessary I'd be shocked cuz they ended up using two vials on her. Whatever. Im not complaining and whatever they had to do Im glad they did it. Initial response from the vet the night of the attack was that usually 3 bites and the dog dies, so to be coming home 2 days later is AWESOME!!!


Didn't mean to come off as making light of the situation, just trying to help. Three bites is extreme, but with your quick response time and care, I would have bet on her survival. They respond usually better than humans in these types of situations. Anyway, very glad to hear she is coming home!

Mo

Great news.

I'm intriguied by English Bulldogs. I've done a complete 180 on them the last year or so, when I've heard a lot of great things.

Yay! So happy for you Flasch!!!!!

Awesome.

Great awareness in the clutch of the moment. Your clutch rating will be very high in the next version.

In all seriousness, I need to make sure I know where the nearest emergency vet is. It sounds like a quick reaction can save a pups life.

Good news, man!

Awesome news!

In all seriousness, I need to make sure I know where the nearest emergency vet is. It sounds like a quick reaction can save a pups life.

Very good idea. We've even gone so far as to know (at various times) an alternate just in case there was some hitch with the primary.

She's at home now but un/fortunately I had to go into work to write a contract so I wont get to see her again, in full, until later. Ill take some pictures and upload them to here then. Just glad to have her home.

Good to hear that everything is turning out to be okay.

Sounds like you were lucky.

It seems like most vets don't keep much anti-venom in stock. I'm guessing it is expensive and maybe loses its effectiveness after awhile, so it is not feasible to keep much, if any, in stock.

Here's her beat up eye:

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f109/Flasch186/103_0630.jpg

Aww, I feel like giving her a big 'ol hug.

Will she lose her vision?

i dont think so, it was only the lids and brow not the ball.