Snakebite!

[imoldernu]

Lots of snake stories over the years... Most fun is the periodic (once a year) appearance of a snake on the deck of the swimming pool in our Florida community. Strikes terror into the hearts of the citizens... Usually a black racer. One exception many years ago... A good friend snowbird, arriving back in FL, found a coral snake on the bed in her home. Wouldn't have believed it, but they took a picture before relocating the unwelcome visitor.

My own most memorable event was a non-starter... Taking an hour off a business trip to St. Paul MN, it was a two mile mile scenic walking trail. Kind of rough in places. Walking through a path of stones, I felt what I thought was a tumbling pebble, hit my (dress) shoe. Thought nothing of it, 'til that night when I found two fang cuts in my Florsheims.

An interesting read on fatal snakebites, here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_snake_bites_in_the_United_States

Five fatalities in 2015.

 

[Walt34]

Another reason for me not to move to Texas. Good to hear the young lady is okay. Sad the dog didn't make it.

The snake is a bit hard to see in the photo so I cut out that part, overexposed it in Photoshop with levels, then resized the resulting image. That makes the snake easier to see:

 

[weshallseeII]

Our Boston Terrier was bitten by a rattlesnake a few weeks ago when we were on a trip to Oklahoma. We were walking around cedar lake and she came upon one at the side of the trail. Had to carry her and jog back to the car and drive to Heavener were we found a vet. Three injections and lots of pills. Her face and throat swelled a lot, but she is now back to normal thank goodness.

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[Elbata]

In most eastern part of Orange Cty, CA and we have lots of rattlers. From my understanding, the rattle snakes aren't as poisonous as the the diamond back rattlers from Arizona. Unfortunately, the diamond backs have found their way out here and are producing.

One of my dogs got bit and survived. I want to take them hiking with me, but there's just too many snakes and my dogs' curiousity gets the best of them.

 

[eytonxav]

Here is a pic of a big Texas rattler:

 

[frayne]

Never minded snakes and use to catch them when I was a kid. Most snakes will not attack unless cornered or threatened. I'd be will to bet the young lady was pretty close to the snake's domain. Glad she is Ok and sorry to hear about the dog.

 

[Car-Guy]

My favorite snake eliminator. Apply at ~1200fps from a safe but effective distance. (I like 8 to 10 yards) A second application is rarely needed, if applied accurately, but can be repeated if necessary with a new dose.

 

[harley]

The girl I went to the prom with, lo these many years ago, was from the desert part of CA. Her summer job before she moved out east was catching rattlers to be milked for their venom to make anti-toxin. Coolest prom date ever. Like going with BtVS. Wonder what she's up to these days.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

Along with CA bashing, 'this the season for RE Wahoo to post a truncated, very vivid form of his Californian repellent.

10-4, Wahoo.

(Although I might take my life into my hands and venture back across the TX border, to my native state, to Luling and Lockhart a few more times for a sausage run.)


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[antmary]

Wow! How scary! We are on 10 acres in NoCal, and have not seen one rattlesnake...knock on wood....We have two inside/outside cats, and one feral. I heard that cats will hunt the baby rattlesnakes.

 

[Senator]

Newspaper reported a golf tournament recently that suspended play until a rattlesnake could be removed safely from his sunny spot on the green.

A bunch of men, with golf clubs, couldn't figure it out? That's a mystery in and of itself...

 

[Marita40]

Yet another reason to live in MN.

 

[explanade]

I recall reading about how you have to suck the venom out to help the victim.

What is the anti venom availability and cost?

Presumably pretty common in the West?

Some other types of snake anti-venoms are suppose to be really expensive because it's difficult to produce.

 

[Nemo2]

I recall reading about how you have to suck the venom out to help the victim.

Perhaps not:
The Truth About Snakebites and Sucking Out the Venom

There are a number of productive things you can do to help a snakebite victim; trying to suck out the venom isn’t one of them. Actually having a negative effect, potentially further damaging the tissue around the bite and thus helping to spread the venom, trying to suck the venom out of a snakebite victim is an act in futility that simply delays proper treatment.

 

[Senator]

I recall reading about how you have to suck the venom out to help the victim.

The best thing you can do is kill the snake. It will make the victim feel better as you drive them to the hospital. And it will prevent that snake from biting anyone else.

As a secondary help, if they need anti-venom, they know the type of snake.

 

[explanade]

Yeah I have to say I read that as a kid and I wondered about it.

I specifically recall diagrams to complete an "X" cut out of the fang marks and then sucking the venom through the X cuts.

 

[audreyh1]

I recall reading about how you have to suck the venom out to help the victim.

What is the anti venom availability and cost?

Presumably pretty common in the West?

Some other types of snake anti-venoms are suppose to be really expensive because it's difficult to produce.

Neighbor who got bit on the hand in his courtyard said ER really wanted to see a photo of the snake to verify pit viper as it cost $45,000 to mix up a batch of anti-venom. He was covered by Medicare plus retired Federal employee.

We carry the Sawyer Extractor kit. Only used it for insect stings though. http://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Extrac...=1462154865&sr=8-2&keywords=sawyer+snake+bite

 

[explanade]

Yikes!

I thought it was only exotic snakes in developing countries which had such expensive anti-venom.

Well that dampens my enthusiasm for hiking in the wild even more.

 

[Ronstar]

Good to see that the lady came through the snakebite ok. Sorry for the dog though. I've had several rattler encounters in Arizona. The craziest was a 4-5 footer sitting in my driveway when I took the garbage out. I never provoke them - the tv news said that most rattlesnake bites happen to 16-25 year old males. Probably due to provocation.


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[stargazer08]

My horse got bit by a rattlesnake while I was riding him in 2012. He spent a week at the vet clinic. It was a very scary situation. My friend rode at breakneck speed back to the trailer while I had to lead my horse out of the woods. I didn't have enough cell signal to make a phone call but was able to text my husband who in turn called my vet. Hubby relayed instructions to me which saved much time and possibly my horse.

Took the horse a good year to fully recover. He experienced cardiac issues right after the bite and wasn't quite right for at least a year.

My friend is a photo journalist who documented the treatment at the vet clinic. She also wrote an article that appeared in Arabian Horse World magazine.

 

[audreyh1]

Wow! So what was your vet bil that year?

 

[Rickt]

OMG...snakes are the creepiest of all the animals. Thanks god the young lady survived!

 

[swakyaby]

I live in Northern California, and I've come across 2 rattlesnakes in my backyard and one rattlesnake in the front yard of a different house. Even though 2 of them were coiled up because we were trying to capture/kill them, not one of the 3 gave any warning rattle. I'm beginning to think this may be an evolutionary change--the ones that rattle get killed, and the ones that are silent are able to bite and slip away.

 

[Ronstar]

I live in Northern California, and I've come across 2 rattlesnakes in my backyard and one rattlesnake in the front yard of a different house. Even though 2 of them were coiled up because we were trying to capture/kill them, not one of the 3 gave any warning rattle. I'm beginning to think this may be an evolutionary change--the ones that rattle get killed, and the ones that are silent are able to bite and slip away.

After about 10 encounters in Arizona, I have yet to have one rattle at me. All encounters were 5-10' away from the snake. I read somewhere that they are changing their habits by not rattling.

 

[REWahoo]

I read somewhere that they are changing their habits by not rattling.

+1 Many of them are now texting...