Snake bite in 32 degree weather????

[Wmwendler]

I went hunting yesterday and lost a dog, looked all day and finally found him about 7:30pm.  He was tired and cold and was limping a bit but I figgured he had worn his pad off so I just loaded him and went home.  After I got home and got him in the light I saw that his foot was a bit swolen, but I could not find anything really wrong other than the swelling and I had to study for a test, so I fed the dogs and left it at that.  Today Before I left for my test I noticed the swelling had increased, that was at about 11:00am and after I got back this evening about 8 the swelling has gone down some.  I looked again this evening real close and I could not find any thorns at all in his foot and there is no trauma on his foot or leg or even any bleeding.  The signs look like a snake bite to me, but it was in the low 30's all day that day, and I did'tn think that was snake weather.  Any body ever heard of snake bites in the winter time?

Waylon   

[catchrcall]

i was deer hunting in south dakota one time, late october i think, with temps in the low 30's and snow on the ground.  long story short, my buddy scared the heck out of me by handing me a live baby rattlesnake.  He was real cold and lethargic, but alive. given enough time he may have been able to bite, i don't know he wasn't in my hand long enough to do much.  if one could be out and about in the snow, i don't know why one couldn't be out down here.  hope your dog gets better.  could it also be a cactus or mesquite thorn?

[Wmwendler]

I was thinking thorn last night but today the swelling was up his leg some.  From what I've seen with thorns the swelling is more local to the thorn.   And I could not find a spot where a thorn had gone in or even any blood.  He could have bayed a hog in a brush pile where some snakes were denned up or he got cold and layed up in a brush pile with snakes.  Seems like you have to try pretty hard to get bit by a snake when its almost freezing out.  Maybee some of you south Texas guy can shed some light on this.

Waylon

[c.miller]

Not sure about the snakes but Saturday morning it was in the low forties and the gators was still out moving.

[sbrooks]

I.ve been out beatin the brush lately and havent seen any, my guess is the temps.  I live down here in Kingsville and the weather has been kinda off and on for the cold.  Earlier this week it was in the thirties, but today it was mid seventies and tommorrow it is forecast to be in the 80's.  Still havent seen any.  I'll tell ya though there is a guy on here by the name of Russ who guides out on the King ranch and i gaurantee he covers alot more of the brush country than me so he could give you a better estimate.