summer first aid
- Thread starter dogsarebetter
- Start date
- 2-3 rolls of gauze, each long enough to wrap around the widest part of his body 4 times
- Forceps
- Tweezers
- Tick removal tweezers
- Waterproof adhesive bandages of different sizes
- Antibiotic ointment
- Fully-charged shaver
- Waterproof medical tape
- Activated charcoal
- Illustrated list of poisonous plants
- Ipecac
- Sterilizing hand and wound wash
- A copy of the dog's medical records and copies of proof of rabies vaccination
- Dissolving sutures and medical needles
- First aid manual
- Burn ointment
- A muzzle
- An Elizabethan collar
- A tarp large enough to carry the dog on a sledge or to wrap around his midsection to protect wounds from rain or brush
- Prescription tranquilizers and other meds from your vet for emergency use
- A GPS-capable cellphone kept in standby so if the dog goes missing you can find him by calling 911 and having the police locate him. You can charge the cellphone using the hand-crank radio/flashlight/cellphone charger you take with you or bring a folding solar panel.
- Emergency energy bars with dog-safe ingredients, extra water purification tablets, salt to make saline
- Vinegar wipes and Benadryl for insect stings
- Deskunking shampoo
- Dog boots
- Pad cream
- Cotton swabs
- Extra collapsible dog dish
- Flea comb and medications
- Disposable razor
- Antibacterial soap
- EMLA cream
- Superglue
He should wear a blaze orange bandanna and a reflective tag collar each with breakaway clasps at all times when on the trail.
Restrain your dog and try to keep them calm. That tranquilizer thing Jason mentioned might not be a bad idea. Copperhead venom causes tissue damage so a tourniquet is not recomended (apparently... I've no first hand experience, only what I've read).
Don't try to suck the poison out either... same reason as above, it can cause tissue damage.
Same goes for the Cottonmouth(the two species are related)
They both inject a Hemotoxin that attacks blood and muscle tissue.
Humans rarely have any serious complications and most of the time aren't even given the anitvenom, simply IV fluids and close medical monitoring...
Dogs on the other hand, especially one as small as a sheltie, would be a different story...
Although they are larger then the prey animals the snakes venom is designed to bring down, I would think they would be in serious peril.
If your dog gets bit, move quickly and efficiently. Remain calm yourself so that your dog will also remain calm. Keep the dog from licking the bite area.
those bites are supposed to be incredibly painful.
Talk to your vet about it before you go to leave for your trips, they may have something for you that can slow the poisons progression or may even be willing to give you a small dose of the antivenom (For most pit vypers it's CroFab I think... although people can have allergic reactions to that one).
Learn as much as you can about there behaviours and when they are likely to strike, what to look for, for example pit vypers have the slit shaped, or cats eye, shaped eyes. There are plenty of other snake species who try to look like a vyper but have round eyes (meaning no venom... with the exception of the coral snake) and are likely a constrictor.
Hope that's helpful
Don't try to suck the poison out either... same reason as above, it can cause tissue damage.
Same goes for the Cottonmouth(the two species are related)
They both inject a Hemotoxin that attacks blood and muscle tissue.
Humans rarely have any serious complications and most of the time aren't even given the anitvenom, simply IV fluids and close medical monitoring...
Dogs on the other hand, especially one as small as a sheltie, would be a different story...
Although they are larger then the prey animals the snakes venom is designed to bring down, I would think they would be in serious peril.
If your dog gets bit, move quickly and efficiently. Remain calm yourself so that your dog will also remain calm. Keep the dog from licking the bite area.
those bites are supposed to be incredibly painful.
Talk to your vet about it before you go to leave for your trips, they may have something for you that can slow the poisons progression or may even be willing to give you a small dose of the antivenom (For most pit vypers it's CroFab I think... although people can have allergic reactions to that one).
Learn as much as you can about there behaviours and when they are likely to strike, what to look for, for example pit vypers have the slit shaped, or cats eye, shaped eyes. There are plenty of other snake species who try to look like a vyper but have round eyes (meaning no venom... with the exception of the coral snake) and are likely a constrictor.
Hope that's helpful
Copperheads give off an odor of cucumber when they're threatened. If you suddenly smell cucumber, stop moving and start looking around. My mom has a few in the rock outcropping behind her house. Copperheads are very docile though and will usually try to flee and their bites are usually not fatal to healthy adult humans though one could easily kill your dog.
Cottonmouths are related and they're even less of a threat. They stay in piles of tree litter near wet places and are generally very shy.
I would worry most about rattlers. Some rattlers have quite a temper and may try to hold their ground rather than flee. Just remember that rattlers rattle because they would rather not bite. They can also be hard to see against the rocky shale and granite outcroppings they tend to favor.
The nastiest snakes are the rat snakes. They're happy to strike because they have no precious venom to waste. Though alarming, it's rare they even break the skin. Be aware that rat snakes like to rattle their tails, though they don't have rattles, against dry leaves to make you think they're rattlers and thus hope you will leave them alone.
If you're in an area where you think snakes may be around, make a point to stomp on the ground. Snakes are very sensitive to ground vibration, it's how they hear. Stomping, or at least not trying to walk delicately, tells them something big is coming and to leave the area.
There's not much you can do on the trail when it comes to snakebite. The best thing is what was said, keep the animal or person quiet, call a ranger or EMS as soon as you get a cell signal, and get medical attention ASAP. Viper venom causes tissue necrosis at the site of the bite so it's extremely important to get medical attention immediately because even if the venom may not kill you, it can cause the loss of a limb or organ failure.
Look at a few websites for the various venomous snakes that may live in the area you're visiting. Both copperheads and rattlers have various colorations even within the same species. The general rule is that if the bite is two small vampire-like deep puncture marks accompanied by swelling and tenderness, then it's venomous bite. If the bite makes a horseshoe pattern then it's non-venomous. Rattlers can control the amount of venom they inject and will sometimes not inject enough to kill or even any venom at all. Don't rely on this however; treat any venomous snake bite as life-threatening.
Cottonmouths are related and they're even less of a threat. They stay in piles of tree litter near wet places and are generally very shy.
I would worry most about rattlers. Some rattlers have quite a temper and may try to hold their ground rather than flee. Just remember that rattlers rattle because they would rather not bite. They can also be hard to see against the rocky shale and granite outcroppings they tend to favor.
The nastiest snakes are the rat snakes. They're happy to strike because they have no precious venom to waste. Though alarming, it's rare they even break the skin. Be aware that rat snakes like to rattle their tails, though they don't have rattles, against dry leaves to make you think they're rattlers and thus hope you will leave them alone.
If you're in an area where you think snakes may be around, make a point to stomp on the ground. Snakes are very sensitive to ground vibration, it's how they hear. Stomping, or at least not trying to walk delicately, tells them something big is coming and to leave the area.
There's not much you can do on the trail when it comes to snakebite. The best thing is what was said, keep the animal or person quiet, call a ranger or EMS as soon as you get a cell signal, and get medical attention ASAP. Viper venom causes tissue necrosis at the site of the bite so it's extremely important to get medical attention immediately because even if the venom may not kill you, it can cause the loss of a limb or organ failure.
Look at a few websites for the various venomous snakes that may live in the area you're visiting. Both copperheads and rattlers have various colorations even within the same species. The general rule is that if the bite is two small vampire-like deep puncture marks accompanied by swelling and tenderness, then it's venomous bite. If the bite makes a horseshoe pattern then it's non-venomous. Rattlers can control the amount of venom they inject and will sometimes not inject enough to kill or even any venom at all. Don't rely on this however; treat any venomous snake bite as life-threatening.
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Oops! Forgot!
Get a Leatherman multi-purpose tool that has needle nose pliers and scissors. They're extremely useful for hiking and camping anyway. If the dog gets into a porcupine it's a life-saver. Sedate the dog, cut off the tips of the quills, and then pull them out with the pliers then apply antibiotic ointment.
Get a Leatherman multi-purpose tool that has needle nose pliers and scissors. They're extremely useful for hiking and camping anyway. If the dog gets into a porcupine it's a life-saver. Sedate the dog, cut off the tips of the quills, and then pull them out with the pliers then apply antibiotic ointment.
Something that often gets forgotten in a first aid kit is a bottle of water and food.
The bottle of water is convenient for dehydration or cleaning out wounds (if there is any debris in it so you dont waste an excess amont of peroxide) and the food (I like to use cat food because of the higher level of protein in it) is good if your dog hasnt had enough to eat and is getting weak. Also sometimes dogs appear healthy and strong but they actually have problems with blood sugar levels (diabetic and theres another one but I forget the name...). A dog can be fine one second and then suddenly just collapse in exhaustion. The canned cat food will help restore energy and strength quickly.
ETA: If you are ever going hiking in cold temperatures (below freezing) take spam instead of cat food, it takes a lot to freeze spam!
The bottle of water is convenient for dehydration or cleaning out wounds (if there is any debris in it so you dont waste an excess amont of peroxide) and the food (I like to use cat food because of the higher level of protein in it) is good if your dog hasnt had enough to eat and is getting weak. Also sometimes dogs appear healthy and strong but they actually have problems with blood sugar levels (diabetic and theres another one but I forget the name...). A dog can be fine one second and then suddenly just collapse in exhaustion. The canned cat food will help restore energy and strength quickly.
ETA: If you are ever going hiking in cold temperatures (below freezing) take spam instead of cat food, it takes a lot to freeze spam!
