Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Dammit I had to kill snake the other day! I hate doin that. Me and Racegal were out in the back, by the pond Sunday, with her youngest son and my room mate Muerte, and My new German Shepherd, Max came up with his ears pricked and stuck his head in the tall grass right behind where we were standing. He jumped back quickly and started rubbing his face all over the ground and whining. I thought maybe he had gotten stung by a yellowjacket or something. Then I looked close at his face and he had to bleeding holes, square in the top of his nose! Shit! I knew exactly what that was and sure enough, I looked into the clump of grass and briars where he poked his head in and saw a big Copperhead still coiled and pissed. I pinned him and was about to catch him alive but decided we really didn't have time for all that shit so we just pulled his head off instead and rushed Max to the vet. Well two big IV fluid bags, two shots of steroids and painkillers, and lots of poking and prodding (to the tune of about $250) later...good ol Max was as good as new, only with a face that resembled a football! He was great throughout the whole ordeal though...a real trooper! That shit must have hurt like hell and he hardly even cried. Now he just has to put up with taking two Cephalexin antibiotics pills, two Benadryls, a Tramadol, and a Prednisone with his food twice a day and hope he doesn't develop tissue damage around the puncture wounds, won't know that til a few more days... Here are a few pics we took that night and the next morning... I'm just glad it wasn't one of us or the many people that go down in that area almost every day... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Juggernaut 11,054 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Poor lil' old Max! we will keep him in our prayers... Think he was trying to protect y'all.. or just messin in the brush? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted July 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 He went in there like he was on a mission. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
joelrod47 373 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 .......ain't nothin' in the world like a good dog........ Glad he's doing okay !! Scratch his ol' fuzzy head a couple of times for me.........! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Koliadko 207 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 He's been pretty awesome. Nose swole up big time. He's been pretty doped up since. Poor doggy. Poor very big doggy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Racer 27 37 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Hope he is alright. Got to love dogs they are the best heros there are. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dinzag 31 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Damn that sucks, glad he's o.k...get him a nice juicy steak - extra rare. Our dobe's were snake killers from hell but we don't have any poisonous one up here. They'd fling 'em about 20 feet in the air until they didn't move anymore. Sometime it took an hour - lol. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Koliadko 207 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Damn that sucks, glad he's o.k...get him a nice juicy steak - extra rare. Our dobe's were snake killers from hell but we don't have any poisonous one up here. They'd fling 'em about 20 feet in the air until they didn't move anymore. Sometime it took an hour - lol. He's been a trooper. Likes the cheese he gets with the pills he has to take. Steak? Don't know about that one. I for one want the first stab at the steak. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
getitat 609 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Good on'ya, Cobra, for taking such good care of him. He looks like an awesome dogger! Hopefully he's a fast learner and you will not have to go through that again. I'm a dog rescuer (German Wirehaired Pointers) and it's frequently just plain discouraging to see how a good dog's unconditional love is repaid with a "heck with that dog, it's cheaper to just buy another than to find/repair/train that one..." Somebody of some importance years ago (Abe Lincoln?) was quoted as saying "The true mark of a man's character is his treatment of his servants and his livestock". Well, since many of us don't have either servants or livestock, I think in modern day language it could read: "waitstaff and pets". You, Sir, are obviously a man of great moral fiber and strong character! Respectfully posted, guido2 in Houston Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MD_Willington 11 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Poor guy... betcha he was looking out for you. Hope your pooch gets better soon... We're lucky the biggest snakes we have are non poisonous... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dodgeturbointerceptor 1 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 I miss my dog.......sigh Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RangerM9 1 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Happy to hear he is ok, i'm really quite amazed, i would have thought a bite like that would have been the end for a dog.....maybe the fangs went through into the sinus cavity and injected most venom there rather than into the blood stream?...whatever, very lucky dog!....take care of that pooch! as i kid i once found myself standing on a rattlers head in Montana.....upon realizing what what was going on, i cleared a 12 wide irrigation ditch from a standing jump....adrenalin is fun! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jrance@iacwds.com 716 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Great news that you figured it out and got him help immediately! My Uncle lost a great Brittany Spaniel to a rattlesnake. (snake too big, dog too small) I hate to see your pup in pain but I love to see Max getting better. You said you hate killing snakes, I am just the opposite (can't stand 'em) Good work, good dog and keep us posted. 1911 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DHunter 1 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Sorry to about the dog getting bit. Hopefully he gets through it with no lasting effects. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bayoupiper 738 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 It's been my experience that copperheads would rather run than stand their ground. This must have been one pissed off snake! Great job by your dog! And great job by you getting him to a vet that fast. Go buy him a steak. Get yourself one too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aethelbert 1 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 (edited) Poor lil' old Max! we will keep him in our prayers... Think he was trying to protect y'all.. or just messin in the brush? With the snake having been coiled in the grass just behind Cobra (you'd think a copperhead would have better sense than to even think of attacking a Cobra, right?) and the way Cobra described Max as moving in the way he did with his ears 'pricked', that dog knew a threat situation and what he was doing. Brave dog doing what has endeared dogs (aside from being great hunting companions) to mankind for millenia -- protecting his two-legged friend. Re: What Racegal said about "Poor doggy. Poor very big doggy." I would add, "Poor very big hairy doggy!" If you haven't met Max in real life, their ain't no other dog with fur like he has across his shoulders and the back of his neck! Big, old, gentle, hairy crittur that he is, he actually looks like a version of the demented, hairy beasts of Little Red Riding Hood! With one diff -- his eyes don't glow red in the dark... I personally don't know Max's religious beliefs but I appreciate your including him in your prayers. My wife and I have, too. And as gentle and generally laid-back as Max usually is, he is 'way more laid-back with all those drugs in him! Edited July 25, 2007 by Aethelbert Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted July 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Thanks guys, and a steak dinner it will be for him, myself and Racegal this Sat night. I hope he can hold it down. I just gave him all his meds around 9:00 AM, fed him a bowl of gravy train mixed with canned "spoiled dog" food and he puked it up an hour later. That sux, there goes the medicine. I guess it's time for some more cheese... I hate to waste the meds if he can't keep em down. This is the first time that has happened. He started whining after he ate, turns out his stomach was upset cause I took him out and he started grazing. That's what they do when they want to puke. I don't know whether it's best to feed and medicate him all over again now and keep him away from the grass or just give him the meds again or just wait til later... The vet said he needs to eat with the meds. Good grief Charlie Brown! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Koliadko 207 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Thanks guys, and a steak dinner it will be for him, myself and Racegal this Sat night. I hope he can hold it down. I just gave him all his meds around 9:00 AM, fed him a bowl of gravy train mixed with canned "spoiled dog" food and he puked it up an hour later. That sux, there goes the medicine. I guess it's time for some more cheese... I hate to waste the meds if he can't keep em down. This is the first time that has happened. He started whining after he ate, turns out his stomach was upset cause I took him out and he started grazing. That's what they do when they want to puke. I don't know whether it's best to feed and medicate him all over again now and keep him away from the grass or just give him the meds again or just wait til later... The vet said he needs to eat with the meds. Good grief Charlie Brown! I'd go ahead and give him the Benadryl and Cephalexin again. Matter of fact, I don't think it'd hurt to give him the Tramadol or Prednisone either since he took them with a full stomach. Medication tends to be absorbed slower on a full stomach, I believe. Maybe I'll give Vanessa a call and ask. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jrance@iacwds.com 716 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Call the vet, that's what he's there for. Poor guy! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loki0629 55 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Cobra, Cut back on the portions you're giving him. It may be better to give him several small meals until he fully recovers and is back to his regular eating habits. I've also pulverized meds before and rolled it inside lunchmeat. You can also try giving the benadryl first, wait until he gets nice and droopy (half hour to an hour), and then give the antibiotics and other meds. The benadryl ought to suppress his urge to puke at least until the meds get into his system. That dog did a fine job looking out for you and you seem to be doing a fine job paying him back in kind. Best of luck to all of you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Koliadko 207 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Just talked to V. She said unless you actually saw the pills come up, don't worry about it. Just give him the next dose when you would have anyway. Just for the info, Vanessa is my future daughter-in-law and a vet tech. She's who I called when Max got bit. She and the vet took excellent care of him. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jrance@iacwds.com 716 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Just talked to V. She said unless you actually saw the pills come up, don't worry about it. Just give him the next dose when you would have anyway. Just for the info, Vanessa is my future daughter-in-law and a vet tech. She's who I called when Max got bit. She and the vet took excellent care of him. Good deal! Just want the best for that valiant friend. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
micah360 6 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 (edited) Cobra... that's a good looking pup you got there! He'll be alright man... just give him lots o' love. I just saw a rattler the other day. Me and my buddy were mountain biking and he ran him the fuck over! Snake was pissed, slithered off a few feet and coiled up, hissing and rattling. They are mean critters. Edited July 25, 2007 by micah360 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted July 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Cobra... that's a good lucking pup you got there! He'll be alright man... just give him lots o' love. I just saw a rattler the other day. Me and my buddy were mountain biking and he ran him the fuck over! Snake was pissed, slithered off a few feet and coiled up, hissing and rattling. They are mean critters. We have the biggest rattlers in the world (Eastern Diamondback) in my state but luckily the area I live in is not where they like to hang out. They are east of me on the coast and west of me in the mountains. The worst thing we have to worry about here are Cottonmouths (water moccasins) but again, they prefer to live a little more east of here so we hardly ever see them. 1911 the reason I hate to kill snakes is because I have raised them for over 25 yrs and rescued quite a few from frightened folks that think all snakes are bad. They have a very important place in our ecosystem and should be left alone, not hunted down like to many people do. If I had had the time I definitely wouldn't have killed that one even though he bit a loved one. I would have just taken him somewhere out of human traffic, like I have done so many times, where he could continue getting fat off of rats. He was pretty healthy from keeping them out of my yard. I saved a breeding pair of copperheads a couple of years ago from the wrath of my buddy's Glock when he found them out by his shed and called me. I kept them for awhile and watched the babies born live in captivity. Not too many people ever see that. They have these cool little bright green tips on their tails that they wiggle and use to attract their first meals til they get better at hunting them down. (similar to an Angler Fish) It was neat as hell watching them all sitting there "fishing"...lol. They all got released eventually. RangerM9 you are very correct about how cool adrenalin is! I've had almost that that exact same experience a few times! Nothing will make a man jump farther and faster than suddenly noticing a big snake right under his feet! ...Well maybe a big yellowjacket nest or a bullet hitting the ground under him...lol..that works pretty good too! Guido2 it's good to see people like you who care as much about animals. They really need people like us. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted July 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Good on'ya, Cobra, for taking such good care of him. He looks like an awesome dogger!Hopefully he's a fast learner and you will not have to go through that again. I'm a dog rescuer (German Wirehaired Pointers) and it's frequently just plain discouraging to see how a good dog's unconditional love is repaid with a "heck with that dog, it's cheaper to just buy another than to find/repair/train that one..." Somebody of some importance years ago (Abe Lincoln?) was quoted as saying "The true mark of a man's character is his treatment of his servants and his livestock". Well, since many of us don't have either servants or livestock, I think in modern day language it could read: "waitstaff and pets". You, Sir, are obviously a man of great moral fiber and strong character! Respectfully posted, guido2 in Houston Thank you Guido2. I'm gonna post one more thing real quick about my buddy and then get my ass down to the shop where I'm supposed to be.... You can really appreciate this since you are a rescuer too. Truth is, this the second time I rescued Max. It was fitting that I "liberated" him from his former home on the fourth of July... Here are the only "papers" I managed to get with him so far ... That paper was taped on my younger brother's bedroom door after a long night on the 3rd. Seems my dad was kinda pissed...I remember those days... Apparently Max got sick of being yelled at all the time and having to fight for attention with my brothers giant black lab every time family or someone new entered the room. Buddy and Max were going at it, like they often did, and my old man did something he knows better than to do, shit I learned it myself the hard way growing up...he stuck his hand in there and tried to grab Max by the neck and pull him off of Buddy. NOT VERY SMART Of course he got bit. It wasn't just because he was doing something stupid, it was the second time it had happened and Max was sick of his shit and didn't trust him any more. The first time was about a year ago when my dad accidently fell right on top of him and got nipped on the hand when he tried to regain his balance by holding onto Max's ear. A dog will only put up with that shit for a second before you get a "warning grab". Well my dad was drunk and he got really pissed off and my brother saw him pick max up by his cheeks and shake him off the ground while yelling at him. Would anyone you know put up with that without retaliation? Then he tried to act like he was King Kong vs the Giant Serpent and grabbed his jaws and pulled them apart so wide my brother swears he heard shit start popping! As soon as he put him down and started to turn away he found out he was gonna need stitches in his hand! It served him right and I told him so! My dad's always been pretty ummmm...well you know...strict. So that's Max's story. I know for sure that he knows what I did for him and is already doing his best to pay me back. He follows me everywhere I go, even inside the house. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BobAsh 582 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Wild story. Man, I really miss my dog too- the one Tony swears I don't have. He died earlier this year, he was 15. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jrance@iacwds.com 716 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 (edited) I just hope your dad wasn't that rough on you growing up. Edited July 25, 2007 by 1911 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Juggernaut 11,054 Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 I just hope your dad wasn't that rough on you growing up. I was gonna say, sounds like you childhood was as fun as mine...... I always tell the girls in my youth group, watch the way a man treats his pets and mother, because that is how they will treat you..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted July 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 I just hope your dad wasn't that rough on you growing up. I was gonna say, sounds like you childhood was as fun as mine...... I always tell the girls in my youth group, watch the way a man treats his pets and mother, because that is how they will treat you..... True words of wisdom Juggs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mccumber1916 1 Posted July 26, 2007 Report Share Posted July 26, 2007 Great news that you figured it out and got him help immediately! My Uncle lost a great Brittany Spaniel to a rattlesnake. (snake too big, dog too small) I hate to see your pup in pain but I love to see Max getting better. You said you hate killing snakes, I am just the opposite (can't stand 'em) Good work, good dog and keep us posted.1911 awe come on... snakes aren't bad if they get their space Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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