Hello all. I have a steer that weighs about 450 lbs that the vet suspects was bitten by a snake. I noticed him about a week ago and he had labored breathing, gray snot coming out of his nose and his eyes were swollen and watering like crazy. He was also very unsteady on his feet. At first I didn't notice it, but when we got him to the vet, she noticed the left side of his face was swollen. Originally I suspected pneumonia, but why would that make his eyes water and swell? The vet checked his lungs and they sounded clear. I really haven't noticed any bite marks, but we didn't shave his face either. I've also notice that his nose appears to be puffy and swollen. He received a big dose of antibiotics, a steroid and a gullet full of electrolytes. After a couple of days, he seemed to feel a lot better. Now however, he is feeling awful again. His eyes are swollen and running and his breathing is not great. I'm guessing he's lost 30-45 lbs during this ordeal. I've given him another round of antibiotics. If it is indeed a snake bite, how long will this affect him? Anyone else run into an issue like this?
Possible snake bite
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Buck Randall
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The steroid has worn off. I don't live in snake country, so I can't tell you how long it takes to get better, but you should talk to your vet about getting some more anti-inflammatories for him.
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
The only experience I have, the calf died.
It didnt take long either!
Suspected snake bite. Not confirmed.
I had a picture, but cant find it. Hair was absent all around the area of the bite. 2 distinct marks consistant with a snake bite.
It didnt take long either!
Suspected snake bite. Not confirmed.
I had a picture, but cant find it. Hair was absent all around the area of the bite. 2 distinct marks consistant with a snake bite.
The photos aren't great, but this is him this morning. He has some swelling under the left eye and he seems to act like his tongue and throat are swollen. His breathing is better, but his eyes are running like crazy.
I had a mature bull with a snakebite on side of face/nose a few years back. Was not affecting his eyes, but he was snorting and drooling quite a bit, and it was affecting his breathing, eating, and drinking. Vet clipped and cleaned the area up, lanced it open, and flushed out a large abscess. Treated with Sustain III boluses, Noromycin, and Tetanus antitoxin and toxoid. Bull was back to normal within a week. Being a larger animal probably helped, and I'm sure a lot depends on bite location and amount of venom injected.
Dave
Well-known member
Here they just get a blast of LA200. That is generally done at the end of a rope. Had one get bit this summer. When the cowboys went out to treat him they couldn't find him (those two are lucky to find their way out of the bathroom. but that is another story) That was early July. He is out in the front pasture now and doing just fine.
Is the snot coming out off both nostrils or just the side the swelling is on ?
If it is. Could be a sinus infection. If he tends to start tossing up and down that could be an indication he has a serious sinus infection too.
And if the eye that is watering is on the same side of it's head could be another sign of sinus infection.
Wouldn't think it would be snot coming out of it's nose if it were snake bite. Would think it would be puse instead and should show to have blood and a putrid smell to it if it is puse oozing out of it's nostril.
If it's sinus infection you will probably loose it. What I am describing is what I have seen happen to horse's. Never heard of it happening to cattle but don't see why it couldn't happen to cattle.
Have seen flap surgery done on horses where they cut a hole in the horses skull, remove the infection, pack the cavity full of meds. Staple the flap back together and hope for the best.
Very exspenseive surgery. Sometimes the infection comes back.
If it is. Could be a sinus infection. If he tends to start tossing up and down that could be an indication he has a serious sinus infection too.
And if the eye that is watering is on the same side of it's head could be another sign of sinus infection.
Wouldn't think it would be snot coming out of it's nose if it were snake bite. Would think it would be puse instead and should show to have blood and a putrid smell to it if it is puse oozing out of it's nostril.
If it's sinus infection you will probably loose it. What I am describing is what I have seen happen to horse's. Never heard of it happening to cattle but don't see why it couldn't happen to cattle.
Have seen flap surgery done on horses where they cut a hole in the horses skull, remove the infection, pack the cavity full of meds. Staple the flap back together and hope for the best.
Very exspenseive surgery. Sometimes the infection comes back.
Correction; Tossing it's head up and down.
NewMoo
Well-known member
I'd be interested to know what, if anything, is inside that swollen section. May be time to get the vet back out. Good luck with him. Hoping for the best!
Bob Kinford
Well-known member
Need to be giving him an anti inflammatory steroid everyday for several days. Had a horse got bit in the nose and it was two weeks of an IV cocktail of Dexamethasone, furicin ointment and DMSO
His eyes are running on both sides. He's also drooling like crazy. I just gave him a steroid shot. That lump under his eye is hard. He's going back to the vet as soon as I can get him in.
His eyes are running on both sides. He's also drooling like crazy. I just gave him a steroid shot. That lump under his eye is hard. He's going back to the vet as soon as I can get him in.
I also searched him over good and didn't find anything that appears to be a bite site. I'm now leaning towards a sinus infection.
I also searched him over good and didn't find anything that appears to be a bite site. I'm now leaning towards a sinus infection.
Is he tossing his head up and down any from time to time ? Is his breathing labored any ?
Sorry, reread where you said his breathing is labored. But what about the head tossing ? Does he toss his head up and down. I have seen a horse that had to have the flap surgery done. Before the surgery one of the symptoms was tossing its head.
I think by tossing its head it was trying to clear its sinus so that it could breath better and might have been getting some temporary relief.
I myself have had sinus surgery to have polyps in my sinuses removed. And it was miserable, couldn't breathe very good, constant head ace, had constant pressure between my eyes caused eyes to water.
Alot of time's with horse's that get sinus infection. It's caused from a bad tooth that has abscesses and the infection follow's the root and spreads in the sinus cavity.
Of course the rotten tooth has to come out and after it is out sometimes the infection can be treated with antibiotics.
But sometimes the horse will die just from getting the bad tooth out.
Abscessed tooth could be the cause of the swelling ? Don't take nothing i have said to be right or even close being right about what is going on.
I am not a vet, just farm a little, own cattle and horse's. Just telling you some things i have seen and have had happen myself.
If it is sinus and access tooth. It's the first time i have seen or heard of it happening to a cow. But wouldn't rule out the possibility of it happening to a cow too.
Of course the rotten tooth has to come out and after it is out sometimes the infection can be treated with antibiotics.
But sometimes the horse will die just from getting the bad tooth out.
Abscessed tooth could be the cause of the swelling ? Don't take nothing i have said to be right or even close being right about what is going on.
I am not a vet, just farm a little, own cattle and horse's. Just telling you some things i have seen and have had happen myself.
If it is sinus and access tooth. It's the first time i have seen or heard of it happening to a cow. But wouldn't rule out the possibility of it happening to a cow too.
I haven't noticed him tossing his head at all. He has had labored breathing, but the vet could hear nothing in his lungs. She said he had aspirated which is why he had all of the snot coming out of his nose.
WalkerRanch 3-2
Active member
Venomous bites on horses and people stink. Pygmy rattler bit a guy and we used a dog shock collar on bite area while traveling to hospital. Google "The Doctors World; New Shock Therapy For Snakebites" written up in NY Times. Hospital didn't even administer anti-venom. You can do that on humans but not suggesting that for livestock. The trip to hospital took an hour so plenty of shocks.
Dave
Well-known member
There is an annual snake shot to give to dogs. There are enough rattlers here than most all the ranchers have had a cow dog snake bit.
wbvs58
Well-known member
Making sure they stay awake hey. I think I'd prefer the snake bite.
In all seriousness I think I'd be reluctant to try something radical over the conventional thinking of an elastic compression bandage over the area and working up the limb. Maybe the collar causes muscle contraction and stops the venom from travelling in the lymph system, I don't know but would be reluctant to try it.
Ken
