Vet warns about increase in copperhead bites this time of year

ATLANTA — A local veterinarian is warning pet owners that copperheads are out and to be careful while walking your dogs.

Channel 2's Craig Lucie went to the veterinary center of Buckhead, where they already have their first patient who nearly lost her leg after a copperhead strike.

Dr. Greg Jenkins said Maggie, a 13-year-old terrier mix, is lucky she can walk after she was attacked by the snake.

“When she came in, she couldn’t even walk, just lying there,” he said.

Maggie’s owners were taking her for a walk earlier this month.

“She went off into bushes to go to bathroom; she came back limping,” Jenkins said.

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Maggie’s owners took her in, but they didn’t realize what happened at first.

“The owner brought her to an emergency clinic and they misdiagnosed it and gave her pain medicine, so it went an extra two to three days and became infected,” Jenkins said.

Her wound is so bad, we are not showing it up close.

Jenkins knew immediately what happened because this is the time of year when dogs come in with copperhead bites. They see about 10 a year, maybe more.

Jenkins says the best thing you can do is keep your dog on a leash and don’t let them venture into ground cover.

In Buckhead, it's a lot more prevalent because it's a high-density area with a lot of creeks.
Maggie's been at the vet for three weeks now.

Jenkins said a day later and she could have gone into organ failure.

He wants to stress to pet owners that if your dog or cat has a snake bite, take them in immediately.

Cox Media Group