I hope your dog is ok. What do copperheads look like?

Sorry to hear that, do you live near a wooded area?

Here is a link that might be useful: My Blog

This link shows images of copperheads.

bmmalone, sending get well wishes to your lab. What a shame.

Rosie, Sugar Hill

Here is a link that might be useful: copperhead snake images

Oh, I am so sorry about your dog. I caught a baby copperhead in our church garden once. We normally toss snakes into the shady sort of "wild" area, but the pastor put that one "to sleep" for us. Yipes. They could really do a number on a dog, I bet! Poor thing.

Sure hope your lab is doing ok.

We used to live in the GA woods and had plenty of copperheads and two dogs. Our Weimeriemer was bit by a copperhead several times - always in the nose. Her head swelled up from the bite, her nose clearly hurt and the skin dies and peels from the tissue damage. (It was really scary to look at!) The vet told us each time that bit in the nose or face, most dogs survive the bite, feel wretched, but learn. (Not our dog - no learning there...) But she also cautioned that if they are bit in the major vein in their leg - most don't survive as the venom travels quickly. Hannah was bit three times over about 4 years.

Cindy

I hope the doggy is doing well!

I will add to the snake warning and remind everyone that this is really bad time of the year for yellow jackets. My son was stung this weekend -- with no provocation whatsoever. I have seen many many of them hovering low over the grass. Friends have also said they and their kids have been stung a lot recently. Apparently late summer is when they are most aggressive.

Be careful!

Yes, yellow jacket season seems to have started early!

bmmalone, hope your dog is improving!

Thank you for all your good wishes for Jack. Looks like a lengthy recovery. My husband is going out of town and I am working full time, so am not sure what I am going to do. If I could find a foster mom for a few weeks that would be great! What with looking after Jack, the other two dogs and the heat I haven't done much in the garden this month. Looks like a may have a reasonable tomato crop this year though

I've seen more snakes than usual this year in my yard. I hate snakes regardless of how many rodents they eat. We've got our share of yellow jackets too. I've put out the yellow plastic traps but haven't caught many so far. I'm going to try a couple of homemade traps I read about online later today. As usual, we cannot locate their nests!

How does one conclude that it was copperhead (unless you witness with your own eyes). I mean it could be any other snake or something other than a snake as well?

Lot of other venonmous creatures other than copperhead snakes live in the yard....so one never knows.

When I always blamed deer eating my plants, turns out to be a rabbit (or whatever it is called..hare) and squirrels! All I *knew* was plants were being eaten and I quickly blamed bambi (though I am spotting occasional deer now).

Lot of other venonmous creatures other than copperhead snakes live in the yard....so one never knows.

When you say "venomous", what do you mean? Out of all the snakes in Georgia, only a very few of them (6 species) are poisonous. What other creatures are you thinking of?

Here is a link that might be useful: Poisonous snakes of Georgia

Black widow spiders! I almost grabbed one while weeding! Yikes!

We have disposed of two copperheads this year already, and we are also surrounded by woods in North Georgia... our dog was bitten by one three years ago, and since then he is either lucky or knows to avoid them. I'm even planning some revision to our landscaping as the plantings are so mature and lush there are a lot of hiding places for snakes. Don't mind the nonpoisonous, but not the copperheads!

We have a creek behind our yard, which may encourage snakes. Between our three dogs and the next-door neighbor's, we've seen five copperhead bites in the two years since we moved here. My vet says they are almost certainly copperhead bites, not rattlers or moccasins. I heard yesterday that there is a rattlesnake vaccine for dogs that may offer some crossover protection, so that's on my list to ask my vet. For copperhead bites, give them Benadryl immediately, then call your vet. Ask your vet in advance how much per dog. It's based on weight, and they take a lot more per pound than humans. (I keep the info on the inside of a kitchen cabinet, for emergencies.) The bites on the paw have been much more serious than the facial bites. Painkillers, steroids, and antibiotics have pulled the sickest dogs through. I have reconsidered "natural" areas--have renamed them "snakey." Never put your hands or feet where you can't take a good look for snakes, first!

Our outdoor cat has been bitten on the face 2 times in the last few years. It makes a terrible deep necrotic pussing wound. We just tried to keep it clean and covered with neosporin each time and let area drain then heal on its own. The Vet said it was a snake bite each time and would eventually heal if we kept it cleaned out and gave antibiotics. He always recovered but it was a long process and gross. I try to keep everything mowed near the house but he likes to go out in the neighbor's pastures and barn. I assume it was copperheads because we are not in a cotton mouth or rattlesnake area.

We also live in a nature-y area and have snakes around. My neighbor's dog has been bitten 3 times. Her other dog has not been bitten. They know it was a copperhead because of the reaction (skin dies, blackens). I once saw a copperhead when I first moved to this house, and tried to kill it with a shovel. The snake leaped in the air towards me. Scary. I read about copperheads after that and learned that most bites come if a person or per accidentally steps on it or if one tries to kill it. Copperheads will not bite unprovoked. Since then, I have not tried to kill the ones I see, but if one is the road, I run over it. My family are huge animal loving vegetarians, but noone minds running over the copperheads because we are scared of them!

Regarding yellowjackets: if you see them in the grass there is likely a nest in the grass which could/should be eradicated and that might get rid of them. We have had them in our grass too. Guess these are outdoor Georgia negatives. I still love Georgia nature though!

quick note, Jack has now recovered enough to join the other two outside...........and what was the first thing he did? Headed straight for the creek, nose down, and proceed to look in every nook and cranny that may harbor a snake!

Oh no! Jack! May doggie guardian angels watch over you.

They can get into sewer to potty and bite you when you are doing the deed. Be careful going to toilet..check everything before you go.