Much Ado About Copperhead Bites

What's the danger of a Copperhead snake bite?

Not too much.  

Your dog is far more likely to die choking on a tennis ball, from eating a pill you misplaced on the kitchen counter, or from a battle with another dog already in your home.

This is not to say that the world is without risk.  It is to say that a Copperhead bite is about as likely to kill you -- or your dog -- as a bee sting. 

All of this by way of introducing you to the most ridiculous pet panic ever:  a hunt for anti-venom vaccine for a Copperhead bite for a dog bitten while on the C&O Canal near where I routinely bike and bird. 

Copperhead snakes are as common around here as snapping turtles and Bald Eagles.  

And yet, this panicky pet person could not find a veterinarian with anti-venom.  Guess why? 

That's right -- because anti-venom is:

1. Not needed; 
   
   
2. Was developed for another kind of snake bite, and; 
   
   
3. Is more likely to kill your dog than the Copperhead bite itself.

There are millions of Copperhead snakes in the US, and scores of thousands of dogs are bitten every year, and yet I can find NO evidence of any dog ever dying -- not even a small 9-pound working Jack Russell who was bitten on a Wednesday and was out hunting again on Sunday.

OK, but what's the harm of giving anti-venom?  

Well, sitting aside that your dog's reaction to anti-venom is more likely to kill your dog than the Copperhead bite, there's the little matter of cost.  

You see, the wholesale cost for CroFab is $3,198 a vial, and it’s NOT derived or developed for Copperhead bites, but for Rattlesnakes and Cotton Mouths.

In short, it's a high price for the wrong medicine, which is a dangerous medicine, that should not (as time has shown) be administered for what is a not-too-serious problem.

So what to do if your dog is bitten by a Copperhead?

Treat it like a bee-sting and administer 2 mg of Benadryl for every pound of dog, and repeat every 12 hours. That's it!

But what about (whatever) said by (whoever)?  Right.  Were they talking about Rattlensnakes or Copperheads?  VERY DIFFERENT ANIMALS.   Do they actually LIVE in an area where there are a LOT of Copperheads? I do, and the vets around here do too.  It says something that local vets are not stocked up with anti-venom despite the huge number of Copperheads, dogs, and Copperhead bites.

If you read the article, you will see these panicky pet owners had to drive to Frederick, Maryland (where I live) to find anti-venom. Guess why? Because Frederick County actually has rattlesnakes up in the steep hard-rock mountains above town. Montgomery County (where this dog was out walking) does not.

But hey, do what you want.  I learned a long time ago that fools and their money are some party and will often throw money at a problem no matter if its helps or hurts.  "Oh, it's a rescue dog?? And you have rescued him again?  And you paid what??  Oh you are such a GOOD owner."

Repeat and rinse.  Sometimes the money spent is not for the benefit of the dog.