I once read that anti-venom is created by injecting small amounts of venom into monkeys until they become immune to it. The antibodies are then extracted from the animal.

I have seen hunting dogs that had been bitten so many times they had become immune to future bites from the same type of snake. Or perhaps, they simply learned the smell of that type of snake and avoided it.

We hunt in Maryneal just about 13 miles south of Sweetwater, we saw our 1st rattle snake ever on our place earlier this year.
He was about 12 to 16 inches long and madder then a hornet. My buddy and I had our youngsters 13 and 10 so we showed them the snake and moved it around with a stick to show them that little guy wasn't playing around. He bit the stick and laid a pool of venom on the ground. I've seen a lot of snakes but that little guy woulda packed a serious punch..

Be careful out there.

My grandkids left yesterday. Killed this by the house today.

that's a bigun

two guys out camping, one gets bit on the but, oh, you have heard it

Doctor said you're gonna DIE!

Have two kits, guess I will use the boxes for something else

I wonder why they don't recommend applying ice around the bite area to slow down the blood circulation?

I don't wear my snake boots often at my place cause they're hot, but after reading all this I think I'd rather be a little hot than forking out all that $ or dying I guess

I carry a bottle of kiddie benadryl and a big syringe. 2mg/pound if the dog gets bit.(You don't want to be trying to pill a dog that is in pain, specially if the bite is around the face. The syringe will fair better than your fingers.)

If I get bit, I'm drinking the entire bottle.

From history.

Dude is getting a million plus medical bill

Supply and demand!

So y'all are telling me that if bitten by a rattlesnake, copperhead or cottonmouth, that the emergency room bill could be over 150,000?

Not saying you are wrong, but I did see a friend get bitten by a copperhead. Took him to the emergency room in lewisville. They treated him, sent him on his way. Now this has been a few years ago, pre obamacare. He didn't have insurance. I don't know what his tab came to, but it was nothing like that.

It depends on what they have to do. A friend of mine got bit on a finger by a copperhead a couple of weeks ago and he was in the hospital for a few days. He is still having regular visits to monitor the tissue so they can determine whether or not he will lose part of the finger. When it's all said and done I have no doubt his bill will be astronomical.

It all depends on whether it is a dry bite or wet bite. Meaning if the snake injected venom it would be a wet bite. I ran several calls as a Paramedic and have seen some more in the ER as a Nurse. Some swell and others don't. I was told that only about 30% of the bite or wet bites. That was about the average on the calls I ran also. Some had swelling and others had no swelling.

There's a reason they call it horse serum.

I can assure you that area has a very high population of rattlers.

One of my friends sisters was bitten by copperhead early last week in southeastern Oklahoma. As of Friday she had received 24 vials of anti-venom, so $250,000+. She is on mend, but has spent a week in the hospital.

She was weedeating an overgrown patio at her grandparent's farm and reached down to clear some debris. She got hit on arm. He posted photo of snake - once dispatched - it was only 2' long, but FAT.

That's it in a nutshell....1. stay calm 2. try to ID the snake 3. seek immediate medical treatment....period!

From the Houston Chronicle, 4/11/16, quoting Dr. Spenser Greene, Director of Medical Toxicology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston:

"Snake venom, especially venom from pit vipers such a cottonmouth, copperhead and rattlesnakes, probably won't kill a person. But untreated it can cause permanent and significant damage - disfigurement from loss of tissue, neuropathy. Plus, snakebites almost always cause excruciating pain.
Victims who get proper medical assistance stand an excellent chance of complete recovery.
"Most patients do well - very well - with appropriate treatment," Greene said.
For Greene, that appropriate treatment for patients bitten by pit vipers almost always includes administering multiple vials of CroFab antivenom. The antivenom has proven extremely effective at reducing pain, swelling and tissue damage and shortening recovery time.
Costly cure
Treatment with antivenom, which commonly involves 10-12 vials of the serum, can be stunningly expensive; some hospitals have charged patients $5,000-$10,000 or more per vial. But few argue with its effectiveness.
"People do better - much better - when they are treated with antivenom; there's absolutely no doubt," Greene said."


Therefore, almost no one dies from snake bites, even the people who go untreated. I met an old farmer in Nacogdoches who told me that the first time he got bit by a copperhead, he went to the doctor and they charged him a bunch of money, so after that he refused to go. He said he had been bitten about a dozen times and never went to the doctor. (which I do not advise).

My uncle had a large dog that got bit by a copperhead.....bit him right in the nose. He was pretty lazy around the yard for about a week, but then was fine.

So almost no one dies from snakebite. Sure, there are a few, but a few people die from ant bites too.

If you get bit, don't panic, go to the doctor. You're not going to die.

What happened to the stun gun snake bite treatment? Supposedly changes the venom harmless?

I'll start out by stating this is the straight up truth. Approx. 9 years ago I was bitten by one of our more common rattlers, a young smaller one about 12". I was playing golf with a couple of friends. I stood by a ramp for a foot bridge and the little sucker came out from under the ramp behind me. Hit me on the inside of the right ankle, I stumbled back and fell on the ramp in a kind sitting position. I saw the snake still attached and I kinda kicked/slung him off. Well I stood up all pissed off cuz of what happened. Buddies came over from all the ruckus and told them what happened. It took only a couple minutes to start feeling poorly so they loaded me up in one of the golf carts and hauled me out towards the highway. The ambulance picked me up and I was pretty messed up by then and heads to the hospital in Dumas TX. I get there and they start working on me and gives me 5 vials of anti-venom. So about that time I was conscious and thinking I really need to use the toilet, bowel movement turned out to be blood coming from rectum, mouth, nose and ears. Out I go again, they load me up for a trip to Amarillo which I was unconscious for. Could not lifestar me cuz stormy weather. We get to NorthWest Texas Hospital and I come to to hear this bearded guy yell "If your not in here to work get the hell out" I passed out again and stayed in a coma for a few days. They ended giving me a total of 54 units of anti-venom. I made it out as you can see, but they used the paddles 3 times and my body temp dropped so low the inserted a temp. probe even. I find out later why it got so bad was because when I kicked it off it ripped thru just above my ankle and cut the big ole vane there, venom went into my blood stream. I don't remember just how much it cost, I had very good insurance thank heaven. Just my few days in the lime light. God has plans for me I feel. Sorry, date correction, this happened in the summer of '96

damm.

Been a member for a while but rarely post.

Basscat that is crazy, sounds like you are lucky to be here. Rattlesnake stories bother me, not a big fan of the snake. I will give the nonpoisonous ones a pass but the venomous ones get the hoe.