A goldendoodle in Florida is recovering from a leg infection after being bitten by a venomous snake.
The incident took place May 17 while the 3-year-old dog, Kobe, was in the family’s backyard in West Miramar. “My oldest let Kobe out to pee and he came back to the house crying, limping and lifting his leg and wouldn’t move,” Barbie Hernandez told Newsweek.
“We did not see the snake, but we have water moccasins in our backyard. We find one every other week,” she said.
Water moccasins, also known as cottonmouths, are a venomous species of snake found throughout the Southeastern U.S. They are named after the white coloration on the inside of their mouths, which they display when they feel threatened.
Although bites from this species are extremely rare, their venom contains a potent blood toxin that can be deadly to humans as well as dogs. Envenomation can result in tissue damage, internal bleeding and hemorrhaging throughout the circulatory system. As a result, all bites should be considered a medical emergency.
Kobe’s family rushed him to two separate medical centers in the hopes of finding a suitable antivenom. However, by the time they were able to administer the lifesaving treatment, Kobe had developed another complication.
“After 24 hours of care, I was told the infection had reached his pelvic area and I needed to take him to a hospital with a hyperbaric chamber,” Hernandez said.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves exposing the patient to air containing pure oxygen, at a pressure between 1.5 and 3 times higher than normal atmospheric pressure, according to the University of Florida’s Small Animal Hospital. These conditions can help with wound healing by bringing oxygen to wounded tissue that may be partially cut off from its oxygen supplies because of swelling.
Over a week later, Kobe’s leg wound has shown significant progress. But the treatment has come at a cost of over $10,000, and Hernandez said the incident has taken a significant toll on her and her family.
“My children and I have been traumatized by this whole experience. The thought of having to mentally process this and then the bills start piling up, as we did not have insurance other than pet care at Banfield [a pet hospital].”
Kobe too has not been the same since. “He is traumatized,” Hernandez said. “He will not go outside, does not want to eat and does not want to be alone.”
To help cover the bills, Hernandez has opened a GoFundMe page, which has already collected over 90 donations.
“We still have a long road ahead,” she said. “I will strongly recommend for all pet owners to get medical pet insurance. You think that this would not happen to you as we have, but it did. Take care of your kids and furry babies and look outside before you let them out, especially if you live around water.”
