My dog is a Plott hound. He weighs around 80 pounds duri...

Question:

My dog is a Plott hound. He weighs around 80 pounds during the summer.He kills copperheads. I don''t know if he detects them by smell or by sound, but I have seen him rise up out of a sound sleep and go off into the woods and bag a snake. He has a system to get the snake distracted so he can make the kill.My concern is that after the snake is dead, or near death, he will pick it up by the head and crunch it. If he is swallowing any venom it doesn''t seem to bother him.His "kill count" was more than 20 this past summer.

I.K., Cassville, Mo Apr 17, 2005

Answer:

Your dog, like the proverbial Wiley Coyote, may be an adept snake catcher and killer, using scent to find them, as snakes emit a musky odor. The venom has to get into his bloodstream to harm him, so eating the snakes'' heads should not cause any problem -- but one day a snake will probably bite him.For the snakes'' sake, I would not let your dog go out and kill them. Snakes contribute to the balance of nature, and you and your dog are violating natural law by such wanton slaughter. Peoples'' primitive aversion to snakes and other venomous creatures should be tempered by a deeper understanding and respect for all life.REDUCING YOUR ANIMAL''S ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTIt''s more than political correctness to take steps to minimize our adverse impact on the environment; when we harm the earth, we harm ourselves. Consider taking these actions:-- Pick up dog feces to reduce bacterial and parasite contamination of soil and streams (from rain runoff). Put it in with your landfill-destined garbage.-- Do not flush cat feces and