DOES MY FACE LOOK FUNNY TO YOU?

This past Wednesday, I got out of clinical and found this message on my cell phone, “Web got bit by a snake on the back left leg. I am at the Vet’s right now. His face is swollen.” Followed by this one, “Web is okay, but they are going to keep him for observation.”

I immediately called Will and he told me that he let Web out about 4:30am Wednesday morning and then went back to bed. Web was sleeping when I left for the hospital and I didn’t even look at him. When Will got up about 8:30, he looked at Web and his face was swollen to twice its normal size.

He freaked (who wouldn't) and ran him to the vet. He said that Web plopped down on the floor, but acted as if nothing was wrong. Then, he noticed that a puddle of blood was pooling around his leg. He mentioned it to the staff and they waited their turn. Web acted fine and Will said he even tried to play with the other dogs.

Web weighs almost 95 pounds now at 9 months old. The picture above was taken today. We can’t allow him to play with other dogs, because he will hurt them accidentally. However, I find it hilarious that he was sitting there with his face swelled up like a helium balloon acting as if nothing was wrong.

The vet took him back and said that his vital signs were off. He gave him Benadryl, Prednisone, and an Antibiotic and said he needed to keep him all day for observation.

The doctor had a different theory than a snake bite though. He said that due to the time span that passed (4:30am to 8:30am) and the extreme degree of swelling that he had in his face, he felt that if it had been a snake bite, he would not be alive. His hypothesis was that Web got stung by a yellow jacket (which obviously we had no idea he was even allergic to) and then cut his leg trying to get away.

We are a little apprehensive now, because a second bite from a yellow jacket could be detrimental. I have some children’s Benadryl on hand in the event this occurs, but we aren’t always home with him and it is unrealistic to keep him inside while we are gone so many hours during the day. We will just have to do the best we can.

The vet did say he can’t be positive that it wasn’t a snake, but he was pretty sure that it was a yellow jacket. Will also combed the yard and found no signs of a snake.

We know there will be plenty more adventures to come at The Vandervort Zoo!