Rattlesnake bite

[Tucker5]

Found Miss Maresy with these 2 oozy punctures on her muzzle this AM. Another person has been feeding her over the weekend and as long as she was standing and eating, we were good. Not particularly worried since it’s obviously been a few days and there is minimal swelling. I’m guessing a dry bite which I was assumed to have myself a number of years ago. At this point I’m planning to keep a close eye on it to make sure the infection clears.

I am curious to know if anyone else has dealt with a venomous snake bite.

[NaturallyHappy]

Yikes! I’ve no knowledge. Just wanted to wish your mare well.

[Equibrit]

Yes. The snake (copperhead) got my mare right over her left infraorbital foramen and caused a huge sinus infection and major swelling. She was on antibiotics and had to be flushed through the hole, exiting through her nostril, twice a day for a couple of weeks.

[Tucker5]

Wow! Hearing of your experience makes me realize we are very lucky. Amazingly the drainage appears to be drying up already so fingers crossed, the worst is behind us. Whew.

[Marla_100]

My yearling WB got bit by water mocassin. Huge swelling around the bite on her nose.
Called the vet who said ho hum, just watch it. You think she learned anything from the attack?
Nope, she was still chasing after them two days later.

[rockymouse]

I’ve not personally dealt with a venomous bite to a horse (just a cat and a dog, who each survived). I know multiple people who’ve had horses bitten by rattlesnakes and of those, none survived. Our very close friends lost 11 horses in three years to rattlesnakes; our vet lost two of his own horses; the farrier lost one, despite having vet care almost immediately.

The lack of swelling on your mare doesn’t look like she’s going to have the same fate. In all the cases I know, the swelling was much more apparent and the horses were very poor, did not stand for long, and did not want to eat.

We have Mojave rattlers that can really wreak havoc, and Western diamondbacks, prairie rattlers and my small animal vet thinks there may be some hybridizing going on as well.

I’m glad that your mare doesn’t seem to exhibit anything like what my friends et al went through. Makes me wonder if yours was not a rattlesnake, but something else or, as you thought, a dry bite.