Old55
Guest
This is from SE az but good info….the antivenom for dogs is pretty much expensive bs in my opinion…she seems to agree:
It is already rattlesnake season in Southeastern Arizona and they are out and they are very quick to strike right now as they have come out of hibernation and are pissed off at the world and very hangry. We have had, already this week, 5 rattlesnake bites, two of them requiring antivenin.
Please be aware as you take your dogs to the desert that the risk is there and maybe it is time to keep them on a leash or closer to your side.
We do have the rattlesnake vaccine in stock. I realize that there is a lot of controversy regarding whether this helps or not but if it helps you sleep better at night and have less anxiety, it is worth it. If it decreases even slightly the severity of the response to the bite, it is probably worth it. If the swelling goes down a little bit faster so your dog is more comfortable, it is probably worth it.
What do you do if your dog gets bit? So much depends on where they get bit and what kind of rattlesnake bites them. If your dog gets bit on the nose or face by a diamondback, they are going to be ok. Bring them into the clinic and we will give them some shots to help with swelling and send you with some pain meds and they are going to get better and life will be good. If they get bit on the leg or body, that can be a lot different depending on where and how close to the vasculature they get the bite and the amount of venom secreted.
If they get bit by a mohave rattlesnake, get them to a veterinarian as fast as you can. There is a generalized misnomer that the Mohave are green and that is not necessarily true. The quickest and easiest way to tell the difference between a mohave and a diamondback is to look at the stripes on the tail. The diamondback has black and white stripes that are close to equal in size and the mohave has white stripes that are twice a thick as their black stripes. If you see the snake and kill it, always take a picture of its tail because it will help us to know what advice to give you.
There is rattlesnake aversion training as well that is offered in our area and can be located with a quick google search. This is a very effective method of teaching your dog to leave rattlesnakes alone and can really help ease your mind.
Welcome to spring and the beginning of snake season! Your dog is dependent on you to help them stay safe. Keep them on a leash, put up a snake fence in your yard, get the rattlesnake vaccine, and have them go through aversion training. Stay safe and keep your babies as safe as you can during the next nine months by being aware and, lets be honest, it is not cheap to treat with antivenin so put some money, $1,000-2,000, in a savings account so you can afford to treat them if they need more aggressive treatment.
It is already rattlesnake season in Southeastern Arizona and they are out and they are very quick to strike right now as they have come out of hibernation and are pissed off at the world and very hangry. We have had, already this week, 5 rattlesnake bites, two of them requiring antivenin.
Please be aware as you take your dogs to the desert that the risk is there and maybe it is time to keep them on a leash or closer to your side.
We do have the rattlesnake vaccine in stock. I realize that there is a lot of controversy regarding whether this helps or not but if it helps you sleep better at night and have less anxiety, it is worth it. If it decreases even slightly the severity of the response to the bite, it is probably worth it. If the swelling goes down a little bit faster so your dog is more comfortable, it is probably worth it.
What do you do if your dog gets bit? So much depends on where they get bit and what kind of rattlesnake bites them. If your dog gets bit on the nose or face by a diamondback, they are going to be ok. Bring them into the clinic and we will give them some shots to help with swelling and send you with some pain meds and they are going to get better and life will be good. If they get bit on the leg or body, that can be a lot different depending on where and how close to the vasculature they get the bite and the amount of venom secreted.
If they get bit by a mohave rattlesnake, get them to a veterinarian as fast as you can. There is a generalized misnomer that the Mohave are green and that is not necessarily true. The quickest and easiest way to tell the difference between a mohave and a diamondback is to look at the stripes on the tail. The diamondback has black and white stripes that are close to equal in size and the mohave has white stripes that are twice a thick as their black stripes. If you see the snake and kill it, always take a picture of its tail because it will help us to know what advice to give you.
There is rattlesnake aversion training as well that is offered in our area and can be located with a quick google search. This is a very effective method of teaching your dog to leave rattlesnakes alone and can really help ease your mind.
Welcome to spring and the beginning of snake season! Your dog is dependent on you to help them stay safe. Keep them on a leash, put up a snake fence in your yard, get the rattlesnake vaccine, and have them go through aversion training. Stay safe and keep your babies as safe as you can during the next nine months by being aware and, lets be honest, it is not cheap to treat with antivenin so put some money, $1,000-2,000, in a savings account so you can afford to treat them if they need more aggressive treatment.