Does anyone have any experience with NDG's and rattlesnakes? I was told that "goats" will stomp on them until dead, however don't think they were referring to NDG's. Horses, I was told, when bit get over it as most animals do, but don't know if a rattler big an NDG what would happen?
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I found this from tennesseegoats.com, but I don't think a vet would give me meds w/o a visit. my ACD was bit a couple years ago and I rushed to the vet and they kept him overnight and just gave him fluids by IV.
SNAKE BITE
Snakebite from any snake can be life threatening to a goat. Do not worry about the kind of snake that did the biting. Treat every snakebite as if it came from the most poisonous of snakes. Find the bite(s) and clean them thoroughly with a disinfecting solution such as Betadine Surgical Scrub. Do NOT apply a tourniquet. Medicate as follows, based up a 100 pound animal (adjust upwards or downwards based on goat's body weight):
1) Give 8 cc Dexamethazone IM on the first day. Follow with 5 cc Dexamethazone on days Two through Five. "Dex" is available through veterinarians and costs about $10.00 for a 100 ml bottle.
Do NOT use "Dex" indiscriminately. It can be a very dangerous drug. A goat must be "weaned" off it rather than taken off cold turkey.
2) Administer 40 cc of Benadryl (each 5 ml contains 12.5% Diphenhydramine HCl ) every twelve hours for four dosages. WalMart's Equate brand is called "Diphedryl Allergy."
3) Inject 8 cc of long-acting Benzathine pencillin IM daily for seven days. Do not discontinue these injections before th seven days has passed.
4) Give the goat lots of fluids, preferably ReSorb or other electrolytes to flush as much toxin from the body as quickly as possible and reduce fever. Don't be alarmed if soft feces occurs. See my article on Diarrhea which states that diarrhea is a symptom of other problems and a way for the body to rid itself of toxins.
5) Green leaves, fresh grass hay, and even some legume hays are desirable. The snake-bitten goat is not likely to eat grain.
6) Do NOT bandage the bite(s). Leave them open so drainage can occur. If the tissue begins to die, apply Trypzyme Spray (vet prescription) to help slough off necrotic (dead) tissue.
Head bites are much less severe, as there is less blood supply to carry the venom to the rest of the body. Leg and body bites result in lots of swelling. Swelling will spread over the body for several days as the bloodstream disburses the toxin. A snakebite above the hoof will cause swelling to occur up the leg and across the chest.
If a veterinarian is available, he/she might also give the goat an IV solution of 10 cc of DMSO diluted in 60 cc Sterile Saline Solution. However, this writer does NOT recommend that the typical goat producer do this. IV administration of medications is, in my opinion, best left to professionals.
If the goat survives the first few hours, he/she is likely to survive the snakebite
Yes, I have heard that. The one we killed had a "bud" it couldn't even rattle as it wasn't developed enough. It was sluggish, and just laying straight and I got a big plastic flower pot and put it over the snake and caught it's tail and it was wiggling. I called a friend and he came over and killed it and picked it up by the tail and I screamed as it was still wigging a long while after he cut the head off. I raised NON LETHAL snakes, but would never venture to get near a rattler. I wish someone would know what "snake kit" contents were as I could have some on hand.
And the babies are the ones you have to worry about! They don't pace themselves when they inject their venom, so they often "over dose" as opposed to older/larger rattlesnakes that will dry hit, or shoot smaller amounts.
I do too... I have rattlers (not a lot), but found a baby one on the far side of the property... just has me concerned
We don't have rattlesnakes in Illinois, but when I was growing up in Texas, we had a collie get bitten by a rattlesnake once, and she got really sick, but she did survive with nothing more than my grandmother's lard poultice on the bite. She was about the same size as an ND. I hope someone else with goat experience has an answer to this!