Once Bitten...

My dog Charlie was bit by something yesterday morning. I found him on the front deck with a muzzle almost twice its normal size. I was worried, but not frightened, because I've had dogs in the past who had been bitten (by bees, wasps, snakes, etc.) so bad that their whole faces had swollen to the point where they couldn't see. So his was a mild case. If he had trouble breathing, or if he hadn't wolfed down the hot dogs I gave him, I would have been more worried and taken him to the vet.

I gave him two Benadryl and brought him inside so he could cool off a bit. He's doing much better today.

I almost hope it was a snake. That way, maybe next time he'll know to keep his distance. Since I found him on the streets of Atlanta, there's a good chance he'd never encountered one before. Dogs who have had a run-in usually will keep about an eight foot distance and bark like crazy until they grow weary or their owner shows up.

Out here it seems like the dogs are always getting little scrapes and cuts, either from fighting or barbwire or whatnot. As a result, I've had to create a little first aid kit to deal with it. I've got Neosporin, some Q-tips, some Benadryl, and some hydrogen peroxide. With those four things, I can treat and deal with ninety-five percent of their injuries. The other five percent send them off to the vet.