# Please keep my older girl Ginnie in your thoughts



## BeccaB (Feb 22, 2012)

My 10 year old girl Ginnie could use some prayers and healing thoughts over the next few days. We was outside this afternoon tying up the tomatoes when we noticed that the side of Ginnie's face was swelling. After carefull examination it was determined in the hour she'd been outside she'd been bit by a snake. A quick call to the vet *nothings open on sundays and no er vets* had us giving her 5 benedryl plus 2 naproxen and cleaning with peroxide on the fang marks to hold us over the 30 minutes it would take for the vet to come to the office to examine her. The vet determined it was a copperhead bite, and that it was a big one since the fang marks are 1 1/2 inches apart. Part of her face is shaved and she is home on pain medication, with instructions continue flushing and cleaning the wound ever few hours with peroixide and benedryl again this evening and tomorrow morning. She also had some kind of injection but I don't remember what mom called it. We've been told the wound is going to drain for a few days and over the course of the evening its went from being blood red and pretty swelled. The swelling has started to come down and its not as red. The vet will come to the house tomorrow afternoon to look over her again as he has to be at the barn to geld a horse that's 5 minutes away. I'm a total mess right now. Ginnie has NEVER messed with a snake so I think it was somewhere on the creek bank and got her when she was out there wading in it. My dad and brother have searched the entire creek bank, the yard and under the house looking for it and didn't find anything.

Becky


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## gold4me (Mar 12, 2006)

I will keep Ginnie in my thoughts. What a scary experience.


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## GoldensGirl (Aug 2, 2010)

You must simply be beside yourself with worry. I'm so glad that your vet came to the house to take care of Ginnie and will come again tomorrow. She is a lucky girl that you care for her and noticed in time to make a difference. 

Might it help to call a poison control center? Or do you think the vet gave her the anti-venom that she needed?

I so hope the people searching for the snake are not bitten!

Holding Ginnie and you in my thoughts and prayers.


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## murphy1 (Jun 21, 2012)

Prayers for your girl!


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

So very scary. I'm remembering her in my prayers for a quick and complete healing. Please keep us posted and give her some ear rubs from us. Snake bites are one of my greatest fears. I'm so sorry your girl was a victim.


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## BeccaB (Feb 22, 2012)

Thank you for your prayers everyone. Ginnie is doing much better, its now just a matter of keeping the bite from getting infected and keeping it clean. I do have a new appreciation for hotel4dogs struggle to get tiny to take her medication. Ginnie had always loved to take her pills, could get her to speak and she'd think they were a treat. Well.... not anymore. The past few days I've tried hiding them in things, she eats it and spits them out, put them in her food and give her gravy on top...she cleans the bowl and leaves the pills in the bowl cleaned of gravy. I've had to resort to chasing her around and shoving them down her throat. One time I managed to hide them in a honey bun, that worked once...now she wont even look at a honey bun anymore and beg. Thankfully this evening is the last night I have to give her medication so she may start liking me again. I also never realized how strong a bond Gracie and Ginnie had developed until this happened. Monday was cleaning her face with peroxide and she was fighting me. Gracie came rushing over barking and growling at me thinking I was hurting her. We still never found the snake, and the vet agreed it was a big copperhead judging by the distance apart from the fang marks. Now in the evenings when dad gets home from work he makes a sweep of the yard and creek bank with both shovel and pistol strapped on.

becky


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## murphy1 (Jun 21, 2012)

Glad she is going to be OK.


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## Goldens R Great (Aug 19, 2010)

I'm so glad Ginnie is doing better. I'm glad this is the last night for her pills too so you won't have to struggle getting them down her.

It sounds like your dad is doing a good job checking the yard and the creek. I hope Ginnie never encounters another copperhead! Yikes!


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## BeccaB (Feb 22, 2012)

I am beyond frustrated and aggravated with the snakes this year. I've lived here for 10 years now and had never had a animal get bitten by a snake and had only killed a handful of snakes in the yard and never saw anything other then a black snake on the hill where I walk the dogs. Last night dad had a heart attack with gracie as he was taking her for her evening 4-wheeler run. As gracie ran past a baby timber rattler struck at her and he killed it. I just don't understand this year, this summer has not nearly been as dry as previous ones. The only thing I can think of is this past winter and spring a new house was built on top of the hill behind us and the gas company this spring dozed the road up the hill where we take the dogs and made it wider for the gas company trucks. maybe that has changed the snakes behavior. Either way I don't like it and its about to become all out war on the snakes.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

I'm so sorry this happened to your Ginnie, really glad she is doing so well.

I would not do well living in KY with all the snakes, I hate snakes.


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## PrincessDi (Jun 8, 2009)

Just now reading this thread for the first time and am so sorry that your Gracie went thru this, but so glad that she is doing well. Cannot imagine how frightening it was for her to be bit and then to come so close with a rattler. Take good care!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Just catching up on your thread. I hope Ginnie is better this morning. I am so scared of snakes - I wouldn't be able to live there.


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## Capt Jack (Dec 29, 2011)

Glad Ginnie is ok I hate snakes too! I rarely let Jack & Sweetie swim inthe canal behind the house anymore because of the water mococans. If it's blowing NE It blows them out & they can go. Praying she continues her recovery.


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## Lennap (Jul 9, 2010)

Wow somehow I missed this thread, how absolutely terrifying! I am glad Ginnie is doing better, but what about Gracie after her encounter with the rattler? You said it struck at her, did it make contact? Is she ok?

OMG I don't think I'd be able to walk my dogs anywhere but on paving - I'd be too scared!


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## BeccaB (Feb 22, 2012)

Thankfully the rattler missed Gracie, but it striking at her is how my dad realized it was there. Copperheads I can deal with, they will make you sick for a while, but even the er's don't give people anti=venom anymore for copperhead bites. Its the rattlers that scare me, they are deadly, and while I don't know if there's any truth to that or not I've always heard that the babies are worse then the adults. But then again, it could just be a old wives tale as well that the older people swear by.


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## Lennap (Jul 9, 2010)

Copperheads may not scare you, but they sure terrify me! I couldn't let my dogs off good old fashioned citified cement if I lived where you do! Of course my Remy won't go on cement, but I guess he would have to learN now wouldn't he! So glad the rattler missed!


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## Brinkleythegolden (Jun 18, 2012)

How scary! I'm glad Ginnie is better!


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