When I went to feed Corny this evening, something didn't seem quite right. The right side of his face looked like it always does -- big and sort of boofy. But, when he turned his head, the left side looked like a cross between a tapir and The Elephant Man -- hugely swollen nose and lower lip. Cornelius, curious as always, has been bitten by a rattlesnake. I'm betting it was slithering across his pasture and it caught his eye and he just had to go take a look. A real close one.
A number of the cats, dogs and horses here have been bitten by snakes in the past. Very occasionally one will be bitten twice, but usually they learn to stay away from things that rattle. I don't think that Corny's ever been bitten, which is surprising, because we've seen him sniffing a skunk and Bruce once had to pull 17 porcupine quills out of his muzzle. He's that kind of horse.
The vets don't do a lot for snake bite here, so I'll only call if things don't run their normal course. The bite has his left nostril pretty swollen, but his right one is fine so I'm not worried about his breathing. He had a good appetite and polished off all his hay. Then I brought him up to the barn and ran water from the hose on his muzzle to help bring down the swelling. It helped and also seemed to make him more comfortable. He was eager to slobber down the apple pieces I brought him, although I didn't give him many because I was afraid he might bite his own lip.
He seems to be OK. We've found that a bitten animal will be very quiet and swollen for a few days and then quickly recover. I worry anyway. I'll check him in the morning and call the vet to come out if I think Corny needs it. Mary just texted me back that he should be fine, which I already knew he would be, but it's vastly comforting to hear it from her.
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On a brighter note, Bruce's leg is feeling a bit better tonight. And that's the latest news from The Frogpond Rest and Recuperation Resort.
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