Snake expert explains what to do if bitten
By Ashley Reams Dunn
News Editor
LAND O’ LAKES — Trent Spanos walked along a concrete path in his Ballantrae neighborhood off SR 54, his miniature lab, Minnie, on a leash ahead of him.
Minnie walked along the edge of the grass and stopped suddenly. She didn’t yelp, but Spanos said he could tell something was wrong.
As he took a closer look at Minnie, he noticed a bite mark on her snout. Something in the grass caught his attention. It was a 5-foot cottonmouth water moccasin.
“The moccasin also had ideas of striking me, as it stayed in the reared-up striking position,” Spanos said.
He quickly got himself and Minnie away from the snake, and then looked down at Minnie’s snout again.
“The blood just started flowing,” he said.
According to the Pasco County Cooperative Extension, cottonmouth moccasins are found throughout Florida in wetlands and waterways. They occasionally wander far from water, and have been found in bushes and trees.
The snake’s bite can be extremely dangerous, according to the Extension. Anyone — person or animal — who is bitten should get immediate medical care from a doctor or veterinarian experienced in treating snakebites.
“Immediate attention — that’s key,” said Jim Mendenhall, a Spring Hill snake expert, who owns Squamata Reptiles and travels around the state giving educational lectures on snakes. He puts on a snake show every year at the San Antonio Rattlesnake Festival.
A venomous snakebite is extremely painful, Mendenhall said. Anyone bit by a water moccasin would feel an immediate burning sensation and see immediate swelling and discoloration around the bite. Then, the tissue starts to dissolve.
If a venomous snake bites you, your child or your pet, the first thing you should do is stay calm, Mendenhall said. This will slow the spread of venom through the body.
“Keep them as quiet as possible, keep them relaxed,” he said. “Try to keep that adrenaline down.”
Then, call a physician or veterinarian immediately to see if they have anti-venom available. It’s the best way to treat a bite, but there’s currently a shortage, Mendenhall said.
Spanos rescues and fosters dogs on a regular basis. He’s had 3-year-old Minnie since she was a puppy.
“She’s a good dog,” he said.
But the 23-pound pooch was fading fast after being bitten on Dec. 21. She was bleeding heavily, and her face and head were beginning to swell.
Spanos carried Minnie into his house and called a local veterinarian, who referred him to an emergency room doctor. Fortunately for Minnie, anti-venom was available. She has also been taking Benadryl, steroids and an antibiotic. She couldn’t open her mouth for a while because it was so swollen.
“She’s doing extremely well now, but it was touch and go for a while,” Spanos said.
“I prayed hard for her, and that was like a little Christmas present,” he added.
Now, he said he’s hoping to raise awareness about the presence of snakes near local homes. He said his neighbors have also seen water moccasins around their houses.
“There’s certainly a watch out here,” Spanos said. “People in the neighborhood need to know, and it’s not just this neighborhood.”
What to do if you, your child or your pet is bitten by a venomous snake:
1) Stay calm. Keeping the adrenaline down helps slow the flow of venom through the body.
2) Seek medical help immediately. The sooner the bite is treated, the better the recovery.
Source: Jim Mendenhall, Squamata Reptiles, (352) 683-9827 or (352) 200-9611
