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All animals are creatures
of instinct and your dog is no exception. In spite of this some instincts have
left dogs, creating situations where an owner needs to step in. With at least
fifteen thousand years of domestication, many of the base instincts for survival
have fallen by the wayside, making dogs more careless than their wild brethren
and one such case is that of snake bites.
Knowing what to do in the event of a snake bite is especially important, as
estimates show around 15,000 pets being bitten by snakes a year. A little
research into the types of poisonous snakes in your area will help you
immensely, since knowing the species of snake that bit your dog will be
absolutely vital information for any treatment.
It
will also save you the trouble of getting professional care
for your dog if you can tell a poisonous snake from a
non-poisonous one. If you're not familiar with the local
serpents, try to notice what the snake looked like so you
can relay the information to a veterinarian. Naturally, if
the snake isn't poisonous, it's not a medical emergency.
Most
of the time, a dog will startle a snake and the snake will
lash back, usually sinking its fangs into a dog's face or
legs.
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Afterwards, a
poisonous bite will show swelling, pain, and redness, centered on a
pair of tiny puncture wounds. Other possible signs of a poisonous
snake bite are labored breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, an increased
pulse, and shock. If you suspect your dog has been bitten by a
venomous snake because of displaying these signs, look for the
paired puncture wounds on your dog's flesh.
A poisoned dog should receive professional
medical attention as soon as possible. Take special care not to
excite the dog as you transport it. Keeping a bitten dog calm is of
utmost importance, since a heightened pulse rate moves venom through
the dog's body fast. You many also have to provide artificial
respiration, particularly if your dog was bitten in the face. If
your dog was bitten in a leg, placing that leg below the level of
the heart, with the leg pointed towards the ground on a lower level
than the dog's heart, will slow the movement of the venom into the
dog's body.
Most home remedies for poisonings are ineffective at best and
dangerous at worst. Incisions around the bite wound won't remove the
venom, nor will ice pressed against the punctures or applying a
tourniquet to slow the flow of venom in the dog's body. Most of
these methods, along many others not listed here that occasionally
crop up in urban myths, will cause more harm to your dog than the
venom, partly because venom travels in a dog's lymph, not their
blood.
Rather than leave the life of your dog in the hands of urban myths
and folk medicine, you can try to slow the flow of venom through
your dog's body by applying light pressure above the limb with
either the flat of your hand or a loosely tied piece of cloth. True
it might not be much, but every little bit helps when you are trying
to buy some time.
Snake bites are both dangerous and common threats to man and
animals. Dogs are particularly vulnerable, especially with their
lack of certain instincts. As with any emergency, maintain a cool
head - you can panic later after all is said and done. You need to
think clearly and be well informed to help your dog.
About the Author:
Jeff Clare runs Dog Training News where you can read many more
articles on
dog training schools.
For more general advice on
dog safety go
to Dogs And Dog News.
Article Source:
Articles Freeway
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