Rattle Snakes and Goats

[Duck-Slayer]

I searched this forum with no luck. I’m going to be packing into an area that has lots of rattle snakes this coming summer and early fall. What precautions and/or medical items should I have in my medical kit to help a goat of it gets bitten? I will be back 10+miles for 14days. I will be calling my vet after the holidays to get his opinion on the subject. Thanks in advance.
Matt

[Nanno]

I think getting advice from a vet is a very good idea. A first aid kid made specifically for rattlesnake bites is something you should always carry in rattlesnake territory--not just for the goats but for yourself as well. Lower legs and noses are the most common areas for bites to occur. I'm not 100% sure, but I *think* goats are fairly tolerant of the venom as long as it's in the legs. Goats, like horses, don't have much muscle tissue in their lower legs and they tend to be ok if bitten in that area (naturally there will be pain and swelling but I don't think it's usually dangerous like it is for humans). The emergency happens when they are bitten on the face and the nostrils swell shut. You want to keep a couple of straws on hand that you can shove up their nostrils before they close up. That will keep them breathing. I believe benadryl can be helpful in reducing snakebite swelling, but once again you'll want to consult with your vet. Let us know what you find out!

[Charlie Horse]

   

[Taffy]

This is what my vet said:

Give Dexamethasone (anti-inflammatory), Banamine (pain) & Nuflor (anti-biotic). Dexamethasone causes immune suppression so ONLY GIVE ONCE. Dexamethasone 1 ml/20# IM. Banamine 1cc/100# IM. Nuflor 6cc/100# SQ (1x) - Use 16 gauge needle. Get to a vet ASAP if needed/possible. I carry all of these medications with me.

[Saph]

Great photo, Herb! Have we heard the story behind it yet?

[Charlie Horse]

Once upon a time, while hiking a canyon out behind the house, I heard a high pitch buzzing sound. It was a rattle snake, all balled up under a ledge. It was very small and I just ignored it, but from then on I was rather paranoid about encountering snakes in tight canyons. Not long after that I encountered this bull snake (we call them blow snakes because they puff up and his with a rushing-wind sound). These are harmless snakes that look a lot like a rattle snake. I decided it was a great chance to see what the goats would do if we encountered a more dangerous snake. This snake felt trapped and coiled up and put on a great show. The goats walked past it without a glance, except for Bacchus. Bacchus stared at it in a somewhat bored way for about 20 seconds, then carried on with the hike. I'm not so sure that I was pleased with their reaction :) I was hoping they'd dance around and skedaddle like horses do.

[Nanno]

That's a beautiful snake in the photo Herb. We have a lot of those bull snakes here too. My horse Easter onced stepped on one and it let out quite an explosive hiss! I was relieved to look back and see it wasn't a rattler (it was much too big!). Bull snakes shake their tails like a rattler but they have no maracas so they make the "rattle" noise with their breath instead. They're very convincing!

On the whole, it's probably ok for goats to ignore rattlers. Often if an animal is afraid of something they'll shy away and then go back for a closer look. We don't want that!

[Charlie Horse]

Last summer I watched a HUGE snake cross the road and go to the edge of my property. And I have no idea if it was a rattler or not. It stretched half way across the road I swear. I didn't dare go look for it because if I attracted goats to the fence and it was a rattler, it could be a disaster. I never did find it when I went looking later. But I heard from a neighbor that as a kid he was playing near the canal that runs on the hill and a "ball" of dozens of rattlesnakes was floating down the river. In fact one of the old bachelors that famously lived in this house got bit by one on the leg and was such a miser that he didnt get it treated and over a year the leg swelled up and pustulated and he died. His treasure of gold and silver coins and paper money was found under his bed.