Dog and Rattlesnake Bites

[MuleyFever]

I had the same concern and here is an old thread with some info.

Snake training for dogs

Anyone have their dog trained for snake avoidance or know dogs that have gone through the training? Wondering how it worked out? Were you happy with it? Seeing a lot of negative opinions on the traditional shock training.

www.rokslide.com

 

[MTPipeliner]

I get mine vaccinated. About 20 years ago our dog got bit, got some medicine at the vet but not the antivenom. He swelled up really bad and was lethargic for a few days but came out of it without any issues.

 

[Opah]

If you are lucky the bite will be from an adult snake not a young one, older snakes have learned to dry bite in defence from a non food threat.
The young ones have not learned to dry bite and will dump a full load of very pure Venom, getting your dog the vaccine is a wise choice

 

[Seth]

Not a rattler, but my brother’s dog was bitten on the snout by a big cottonmouth while visiting me in TX. Vet had us give oral Benadryl and watch him for a few days for infection. It slowed him for a week or so and he never poked his face into holes again.

 

[El Gavilan]

I have 3 dogs, German Shepherd, German Shorthair, and a mut. They all get the vaccine every year. The mut was bitten on the nose when he was around 8 months old and got the antivenom, and did very well. The two older dogs, the GS and the GSP were professionally snake avoidance trained and they actively avoid rattlers, the mut was snake avoidance trained by me using a road killed diamondback and a shock collar a few months after he was bitten. They all 3 encounter rattlesnakes frequently and they avoid contact. We had 6 rattlers in the back yard this spring and we walk in the desert twice a day, almost every day. No bites since the mut got bit.

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[dr.mooseknuckles]

I feel like some of you should ask your vet, but luckily I’m here to help.

A lot snake bites have to do with the type of snake, location of bite, and amount of venom injected. In decreasing order for North America from most severe to least: Rattlesnakes of varying varieties but generally Eastern/Western are top, coral snakes (but they’re kinda odd and Uber regional, moccasins/cottonmouth, then copperheads. Again this is general.

Location is next: Face/neck or around any mucous membranes (think inside of mouth/lips and around the nose) are the worst, with extremities being the least.

Dose is the biggest component. Younger snakes tend to inject more, but regardless of age, you’re not going to be able to readily predict or know how much. You generally just treat based on snake type, location of bite, and amount of tissue swelling.

Realistically, Benadryl doesn’t do much because the swelling isn’t from severe histamine release, it’s from factors in the venom that cause tissue necrosis. Benadryl doesn’t hurt to give. It’s more of a “doing something to do something” type treatment. It’s not wrong to give and it gives everyone a peace of mind. It will at least calm the dog down. Real Benadryl dose is 4 mg/kg. You guys can calculate that yourselves. Can’t give all the trade secrets away. Antibiotics are only used in most instances if there is already tissue necrosis occurring.

The Crotalid Vaccine is worth it if high risk factors involved. Geography, work type, etc. It’s not going to prevent a reaction, it’s going to reduce the severity. Antivenin is always a good idea, but definitely needed for those sever facial/neck bites.

Y’all each owe me $10 a piece


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[Pointer]

I used to give the vaccine, the cost was low compared to other investments I was making into my hunting and losing a skilled hunting dog would be very devastating and expensive and timely to replace.

In my experience most dogs survive no problem, but my experience is limited to prairie rattlesnakes of the northern plains, little fellers. Your desert diamondbacks are a whole other class of snakes. I think it'd be prudent to either vaccinate him or not, but also have on hand some Benedryl and syringe ready for injection to hold him over until you can get to a vet.

Would you be willing to share the cost you paid for that vaccine ?

 

[kickemall]

I feel like some of you should ask your vet, but luckily I’m here to help.

A lot snake bites have to do with the type of snake, location of bite, and amount of venom injected. In decreasing order for North America from most severe to least: Rattlesnakes of varying varieties but generally Eastern/Western are top, coral snakes (but they’re kinda odd and Uber regional, moccasins/cottonmouth, then copperheads. Again this is general.

Location is next: Face/neck or around any mucous membranes (think inside of mouth/lips and around the nose) are the worst, with extremities being the least.

Dose is the biggest component. Younger snakes tend to inject more, but regardless of age, you’re not going to be able to readily predict or know how much. You generally just treat based on snake type, location of bite, and amount of tissue swelling.

Realistically, Benadryl doesn’t do much because the swelling isn’t from severe histamine release, it’s from factors in the venom that cause tissue necrosis. Benadryl doesn’t hurt to give. It’s more of a “doing something to do something” type treatment. It’s not wrong to give and it gives everyone a peace of mind. It will at least calm the dog down. Real Benadryl dose is 4 mg/kg. You guys can calculate that yourselves. Can’t give all the trade secrets away. Antibiotics are only used in most instances if there is already tissue necrosis occurring.

The Crotalid Vaccine is worth it if high risk factors involved. Geography, work type, etc. It’s not going to prevent a reaction, it’s going to reduce the severity. Antivenin is always a good idea, but definitely needed for those sever facial/neck bites.

Y’all each owe me $10 a piece


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In my experience the above is spot on. I've seen numerous dogs, like 15 or more bit by rattlers. Of those, four of them had the vaccine and their reaction was much less than the others. All my working dogs get vaccinated
and when I had them done last it was twenty five bucks a dog. After the first one you'll need a follow up after about a month, I can't remember exactly how long then yearly boosters. I will say I have never seen one die from a rattler, yet, but man do they swell up and get sick. If your in snake country the vaccine is money well spent.

 

[txhunter581]

I am a vet.

Whenever a new product/ vaccine comes out I have 2 main questions: Is it safe and does it work

I wasn’t one of the first to use the vaccine when it first came out. I like to let other people do the experimenting. But after it had been out about a year, and it hadnt hurt any dogs, I used it on my own dog. I will never recommend anything if I don’t feel comfortable using on my dog. I have now prob vaccinated close to 1000 client dogs and bottom line: it is as safe as any other vaccine you can get for your dog.

Next question: does it help? My experience is not proof, but I have now had numerous patients who were vaccinated and then bitten, and they seem to do better and get better quicker than those without. I vaccinate my own dog every spring. Dogs that hunt or could be exposed to snakes year round should get it twice yearly.

I charge $25 per dose. 2 doses 30 days apart the first year and then one dose annually or semiannually.

IMPORTANT: the vaccine doesn’t mean you don’t need to take your dog to the vet. Treatment is still Necessary. The vaccine just helps and buys you some time.

And lastly, the vaccine works for snakes with venom similar to western diamondback. I don’t think it will work on Mojave rattlers as they have neurological venom

 

[txhunter581]

http://www.redrockbiologics.com/images/Snake_Bite_Vaccination_Guidelines_AAEP_121218.pdf

Read this for a list of the snakes it protects against. It says Mojave’s is not one that it protects against.

 

[Elk97]

Had a black and tan hound years ago, lost track of how many times she was bitten. Usually on the snout because she was always sticking her nose in every hole in the ground. She'd swell up for several days but never seemed to suffer any other way. Her sister got bit once on the foreleg, it swelled up so bad it was breaking the skin by the time we got her to the vet in town. He gave her a general anesthetic to lance the leg and reduce the swelling and she never came out of it. No two dogs are the same, sounds like this vaccine is the way to go.

 

[Life_Feeds_On_Life]

When my dog was bitten she was given steroids antibiotics and pain meds. Not the best pic but the inside of her leg swole and was almost like a wet scab leaky with bloody fluid for several days. That was 7 years ago she pulled through and is still running around today. Hasn't grown hair on the inside of that leg since.

 

[Fatcamp]

Got him the vaccine this morning. $40 bucks with a booster in a month and yearly repeats. Not a lot of research but enough people report improved outcomes to make it worthwhile to us.

We will no longer carry Benadryl. What we will begin carrying are saline flushes to irrigate the wound if it occurs, sterile dressing, and conan. YMMV

 

[GueroUlt]

Got him the vaccine this morning. $40 bucks with a booster in a month and yearly repeats. Not a lot of research but enough people report improved outcomes to make it worthwhile to us.

We will no longer carry Benadryl. What we will begin carrying are saline flushes to irrigate the wound if it occurs, sterile dressing, and conan. YMMV

I’m planning on getting the shot for mine as well. I’m glad I asked and got some first hand stories! Hopefully we won’t have to count on it

 

[Dos Perros]

Can you go more into detail about Benadryl injections? Are you getting it from your vet?

We carry oral Benadryl and beef jerky.

My vet gave me this to carry around.

 

[Dos Perros]

Would you be willing to share the cost you paid for that vaccine ?

I had two or three other friends with multiple dogs so we had our vet order a whole pack of the stuff, maybe 20 doses? We would administer ourselves. Got the cost down to less than $50/dog pretty sure. The leftover doses were good for a year refrigerated (also pretty sure). This was more than 5 years ago so kinda digging in my brain for these memories.

 

[Archerichards]

50$/dog is reasonable.

 

[Downeaster]

http://www.redrockbiologics.com/images/Snake_Bite_Vaccination_Guidelines_AAEP_121218.pdf

Read this for a list of the snakes it protects against. It says Mojave’s is not one that it protects against.

Popped in to speak on the mojave, as I understand it...no bueno.
Did meet a guy down near the mexican border a few years back that said he did save a dog that got bit by one- by getting it to the vet in 20 mins (she wasnt hopeful at all as i remember). Two doses I believe.
He may be on here and chime in.