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What to do if my dog has a snake bite, swelling, and no vet nearby?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 91 lbs

My 90 lb mixed breed dog appeared to have a snake bite on his left lower leg about 24 hours ago. No 24 hour vet available for approximately 36 more hours. He has mild swelling and limping. He is eating and drinking fine. I gave him 75 mg of Benadryl about 12 hrs apart. He only seems to be in mild pain. Is there anything else you would recommend until he gets to the vet on Monday morning

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Rodrigo Roca, DVM

Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 7th, 2017

Hello, sorry to hear about Al. He can have up to 160 mg of benadryl every 8 - 12hours. I would increase his dose to 80 -100mg every 8 hours and see if that helps decrease the swelling. Otherwise, you may be able to be seen by Virginia -Maryland School of Veterinary Medicine since they have a 24h emergency room. That is located in Blacksburg.

You can also try to ice the leg to decrease some of the swelling.

Hope this helps and best of luck.
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