How Much Benadryl Can I Give My Dog for Snake Bite

This is one story I never thought I would take to tell. Merely after a few days, I'm now fully educated on dog serpent seize with teeth treatment. My lilliputian running partner is on the sidelines for a few days while he recovers from a example of being too curious well-nigh some hiding places in our yard.

Disclaimer: I am non a vet, nor do I have any medical training for vet services. This is just our anecdotal experience.  Seek expert help from your veterinarian.

We had just bathed Atlas a few hours before, so when he went exterior for a pause, I kept information technology short to about four-5 minutes. When I chosen him, he was butt-upwards over a log pile down by the fence line. He came back, happy as e'er, and got his care for and went to play in the firm. Atlas is an inside dog with plenty of play space.

30 minutes later, he came to me with a swollen left side of his confront and in pain. I couldn't find whatever bite or puncture mark but I called Stephen at work. His partner at work checked with his vet tech friend who instructed us to monitor for any shock or breathing issues. Until nosotros knew if this was a issues or a snake, I had to keep a close watch.  If he started any signs of stupor or respiratory distress, I should become to emergency vet. This was  9pm at night. In the concurrently, I was to requite him Benadryl. If he was still swollen the next morning, I should see our vet asap.

I didn't sleep at all that dark. Atlas was in a lot of pain and he kept trying to ringlet over and lay on the swollen side so I ended up only belongings him while he slept. Around 4am he seemed better and slept hard. At 7am when Stephen got dwelling house, Atlas seemed perfectly fine. He wagged, and played, and ran, did his business organization in the yard, played some more. He was still very swollen just we thought he must have gotten stung past a cruel ruby-red wasp.  Nosotros gave him another dose of Benadryl and Stephen went on to sleep for his adjacent night shift.

You lot know those "feelings" yous get with pets (and kids, I'k assuming)? That something-isn't-right feeling? I got it in waves and decided to telephone call the vet. This was 8am. The vet tech said to bring him in just to see.

Not only did a ophidian bite Atlas, simply information technology was a venomous snake. Dr. Google didn't tell me all the differences between a bug and ophidian bite, but my vet sure did and we still have August to become through. Baronial is peak snake seize with teeth month effectually here.

So what are the differences between a bug/insect bite and a snake bite?

• Problems bites volition swell immediately and then go back down in a few hours. If information technology was a bee or wasp, Atlas wouldn't still be swollen the next forenoon.
• Bug bites will not cause extreme pain after about an hour.
• Snake bites will take a while to reveal a puncture wound. When Atlas started swelling, I couldn't encounter whatever bite mark. An 60 minutes after, a seize with teeth mark appeared on his face up.

How was Atlas diagnosed with snake bite?

• Dr. Canant walked in the room, looked at the bite mark, and immediately knew it was ophidian. He saw the bite and explained something to me that I wish I knew earlier. When venomous snakes bite, they inject a numbing agent and a coagulation amanuensis. That's why Atlas didn't feel any hurting at kickoff. The swelling covers the seize with teeth mark since the blood coagulates (thickens to a plug or scab).
• Based on symptoms of long-term swelling and hurting. With bug bites, swelling and hurting recede in a brusque time frame.
• Atlas got shots for bite mark infection and steroids to stop the venom damage to his organs. We had a three week oral med routine to forbid further damage. Later his recovery, nosotros will requite Atlas the ophidian vaccine. I'll share more nearly that after I acquire more about that.

What is the treatment?

• If y'all SEE a dog seize with teeth in activity, get to your vet immediately. Really bad bites tin can cause so much damage that skin and fur kickoff falling off. Go to the vet or emergi-vet asap.
• If you doubtable whatever kind of bite based on swelling and/or pain, Benadryl tin stop the anaphylactic reaction. Benadryl volition never hurt your dog, unless there is an allergy to the medicine. If in that location is no bite, information technology volition just make your dog sleepy. When in uncertainty, benadryl. The general rule is one mg for every lb your dog weighs. Atlas was 37-39ish so I gave him one 25mg and cut another one in one-half. That is 37.5mg.
• If you see a mark or puncture that looks similar it'southward plugged with dried blood, that is a glaring sign of snake bite. Bug bites exercise not coalesce or plug. And don't presume because in that location is simply ane bite that information technology'south not snake. Copperheads oftentimes only have 1 biting fang because they strike out at everything and will intermission one off and regrow. That one bitter fang can be lethal.

This story could have been a lot more tragic. Nosotros take never seen a snake on our property but we are out in the country. We had no idea the differences between bug and snake. Thankfully, we knew friends who knew vet techs who gave us the Benadryl tip. If Atlas had shown any signs of shock or breathing distress, I would have taken him to emergi-vet. No questions about that.  This fourth dimension, nosotros got very lucky. This is a 3 day progression of his swelling puppy face and neck.

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Source: https://www.katrina-runs.com/dog-snake-bite-treatment

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