copperheads!

Since moving to the farm we have run across 4 copperheads. By nature, I am a "live and let live" type of person and I enjoy most snakes and realize their usefulness. But when it comes to venomous varieties, my opinion changes. They are not welcome to live anywhere near my house, barn, pond, or pastures, and they will be dispatched of.
As of Monday night I have validation in my prejudice against them - a $300 vet bill and a sleepless night!
The evening started as any other. Trailer helped me with the farm chores and Barry and I went in to eat dinner. When I came out to shut the chickens in, I noticed that Trailer was holding his left hind leg up and it was swollen on the inner lower joint. He seemed fine otherwise and I couldn't find anything obviously wrong - I didn't feel any breaks or see any lacerations. I went back inside for awhile and decided to check on him before I went to bed.
When I came back out a mere thirty minutes later, he was curled up in a corner in obvious distress. His entire leg was swollen, he was lethargic, his breathing was labored, and he wouldn't get up.
I immediately suspected a copperhead bite and called the on-call vet. Of course they told me to bring him in since he was lethargic and having difficulty breathing. By the time I got there, it was midnight. In spite of his pain, Trailer wagged his tail and greeted all the staff when they approached him. But when it was just the two of us waiting in the room to see the vet, he just wanted me to hold and comfort him. I sat in the floor and he laid his head on my lap. Of course the vet wanted to take x-rays in case it was a break. Of course I let him. Of course there were no broken bones and the x-rays cost me an extra $100.
By the time I got home with my heavily-sedated, totally limp, 50lb dog, it was after 2am. I didn't want to try lifting him out of the crate so I left him in the car with the windows rolled down and got up every hour or so to check on him.
He spent about 24 hours sleeping and laying around and since then I've been trying to keep him quite and clam per the vet's instructions. Yeah, RIGHT!
I'm trying to keep him crated as much as possible and he isn't happy about it. He would rather run around doing all the stuff he normally does, dragging his balloon leg behind him. The vet said he needs to rest for at lease a week - it's gonna be a long week for both of us!

Peace

Here is a pic of my normal "happy dog", and a pic of my right now "sad dog"

Cats always seem to find peculiar places to sleep - like in your market basket on top of the refrigerator.

What a good barn cat!

While making my way through morning farm chores today I came across a surprise left for me by Cash. A very LARGE, dead rat! This rat wasn't your normal small field rat with a short tail, but a big, fat long-tailed rat! Needless to say, I was very impressed. What a good barn cat! Our temporary feline is almost earning his way around here.

Peace and good hunting!