Copperheads and other Venomous Snakes in NC
Everything to know about copperhead snakes and other venomous snakes — how to identify them, how to avoid them, what to do if you (or your pet) is bitten, and more.
It’s the time of year when social media feeds begin to fill with photos of sad, swollen-faced pups and cautionary tales of them getting too cozy with snakes.
Copperhead snakes in particular — the unofficial summer mascots around here — seem to have a lot of run-ins with dogs. The snakes are out there doing what they’re built to do: they hide in brush and wait for a chance to munch on a mouse or lizard. But ever so often, a misplaced paw steps a little too close or a curious nose gets a bit too nosy, and a dog will learn a very tough lesson (or maybe they won’t — more on that later).
Copperhead snakes are the most common venomous snake in this part of North Carolina, and account for the majority of calls to the Carolinas Poison Center in Charlotte each year. Their bites are pretty much never fatal to humans (just painful and expensive), but occasionally fatal to pets, depending on the animal’s size and the severity of the bite.
Copperheads are not aggressive, but they are territorial, and will strike in self-defense if they feel threatened.
When we see a copperhead, we know to give it wide berth and leave it alone.
But your dog doesn’t know that.
Whether from curiously nosing up to a snake to say hello, plunging face-first into a bush to retrieve a ball, or simply walking down a sidewalk during an evening stroll, dogs seem to find themselves bitten by snakes (particularly copperheads) an awful lot each summer.
It’s impossible to completely eliminate all dog-snake encounters, but there are things we can do to lessen the likelihood that they are bitten. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has this advice for avoiding snake bites:
▪ When walking your dog, always keep it on a leash and monitor its behavior closely.
▪ Don’t let your dog nose around in bushes, thick ground cover, piles of dried leaves or rock crevices — all great copperhead habitats.
▪ Walk on trails where you can see well ahead of you, to make sure there are no snakes in your path (but also be aware that you can encounter a copperhead even on a neighborhood sidewalk).
▪ For cats, the ASPCA suggests keeping them indoors.
Another good piece of advice is to eliminate snake-harboring habitats in your yard, such as woodpiles, tarps, pine straw, dry stack walls and lush, low-growing groundcover.
A copperhead in the grass at Hayden Cavender‘s shop in the Little River community on July 18, 2016. Cavender of The Snake Chaser said copperheads are usually the snakes that bite dogs in the area. Janet Blackmon Morgan
Home Care for Dog Copperhead Bites
It is recommended that you take your dog to a veterinarian promptly rather than trying to do any form of home treatment. Do not try and suck the venom out yourself as this is unlikely to be effective and you will put yourself at risk. Similarly, washing the wound with water or saline is unlikely to help, as the venom will be injected deep underneath the skin. Do not administer Benadryl or other over-the-counter medications as you will only waste time when you should be seeking professional help.
The best thing you can do is to keep your dog calm and call your veterinarian for urgent advice.
What Are Signs of Snakebites on Dogs?
It’s always good to be educated on signs of snakebites. In dogs bitten by a nonvenomous snake, swelling and bruising around the bite most often occur. Depending on the case, it may still be possible to see puncture wounds in the center of the injury and the bite may be very painful and possibly infected if not treated.
If your dog has been bitten by a venomous snake, look for signs of extensive and quickly spread swelling, bleeding or bloody discharge. You may not always see the puncture wound from the fangs so keep that in mind. Some snakes may be too young or too small for the puncture wounds to be visible, plus the swelling usually makes it harder to see.
Keep in mind that even if your dog has been bitten by a venomous snake, they don’t always inject venom. Seek help immediately to avoid any health threats to your dog.
If your pet is bitten by a snake, assume it’s a venomous bite and seek veterinary attention immediately. It’s always better to be proactive than waiting and potentially regretting it if your loved one rapidly gets worse.
A painful snakebite could cause your dog major stress. It may be important to muzzle your dog to avoid being bitten. Make sure that you keep your dog in a calm, quiet and warm state. This helps reduce stress in your dog and keeps them as comfortable as possible while you seek help. Stay calm. Your dog can sense when you are panicked and high stress levels can cause the venom to circulate even quicker throughout the body.
If for some reason you are unable to take your dog to a veterinarian right away, here are some things that you can do to help minimize the spread of venom:
What To Do If Your Dog Is Bitten By A Copperhead Snake
Summer is coming to a close and although cooler temperatures are on the horizon, we aren’t quite there yet. Days aren’t as uncomfortably hot like they are during the summer, so it seems like the perfect time to get outside or go for a hike with our dogs. But, something that you should be weary of as a dog owner are snake bites on dogs.
Dogs are notorious for being natural-born hunters. While enjoying the outdoors, they tend to explore. Dogs can often encounter snakes on their explorations and if a dog is too curious, they may not be leaving these slithery reptiles alone. When a snake feels threatened, they will bite in self-defense. And because there are different types of snakes – venomous and nonvenomous – not every bite is created equal.
Your dog may encounter a nonvenomous snake {ie. bull snake, garden snake or racer snake} and although these bites are painful and could cause infection, they are not fatal. However, if your dog should encounter a venomous snake {ie. Copperhead, rattlesnake or water moccasin} then the venom could kill a dog within an hour unless you give first aid immediately.