# Rattlesnake Vaccine



## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

Rattle snake season has started!!! First report of one spotted a few miles east of our house, so pretty soon they will be coming out on the coast as the weather warms. Last year Miles a little puppy most of the season so he mostly stayed right by our side while hiking or was on a long check cord so we didn't worry. But this year is different and his hunt instinct is much stronger. 

Has anyone given their dog the rattlesnake vaccine? Thoughts? I know it only prolongs the time until they need the anti venom so not sure it's worth it. 

Seems like all the animals are out right now! Thank goodness I had a tight grip on him leaving our house for our morning run today because 2 huge racoons in our front yard this morning.


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## simpletea (Mar 10, 2013)

I think you liver near me so this is scary! (North County San Diego). I have read on the meetup that that there is a rattlesnake training that you can take the dog too. I have no idea how it works, or it if works. We don't have a V yet but this is something I worry about as well.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

Yes! We live in Cardiff by the Sea, but I have some friends who live in San Elijo Hills and Calavera Hills and they have seen some snakes. We live right on the San Elijo lagoon, so they will be out near us shortly. 

I have heard about the rattlesnake training and have mixed feelings on that too! We were going to do it until my friend told me she took her dog twice, and then she came home from work one day and found her dog playing with a rattlesnake in her yard ..... scary. 

When are you getting a Vizsla?


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2011/07/rattlesnake-adversion-training.html

I think most of the fear is not grounded but saying that, it _could_ happen.

We have many rattlesnakes in the Eastbay of the SF Bay Area. One area is the Sunol wilderness area that is huge and allows dogs off leash. On weekends all summer their may be 200 dogs running around and the same number of rattlers. Talked to the park ranger and he said they get maybe 2 or 3 dogs bit a year and he doesn't recall a fatal bite.

A vet I went to a couple years ago and I got talking and he has had his practice for 30 years. He has only seen many dogs with snake bites. Out of those only a couple dogs did die and they were smaller dogs. 

My dogs have done the class twice and I will attest that it works for us.

Don't go out into the Mojave during the hot months. The Mojave Green is deadly!

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2011/04/mojave-green-rattlesnakes-and-dogs-dont.html

and one of Threefsh videos on her blog:

http://ltlor.blogspot.com/2012/07/sunol-regional-wilderness-and.html


RBD


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Mine get the vaccine yearly along with the snake avoidance clinic.

http://www.vizslaforums.com/index.php/topic,1008.msg6836.html#msg6836


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## Rufus Tiberius (Dec 18, 2012)

RT got his rattlesnake vaccine at 6 months. Will be taking him for the snake avoidance class when he comes home from Willowynd Ranch next month.

I would be very watchful if you take your V to the beach for his walks, because, believe it or not, there are allot of juvenile rattlesnakes at the beach this time of the year. Up here in Ventura County the little devils get washed down with the brush and other detritus from the barrancas when it rains. They like to hideout in the trash and woodpiles that collect on the beach. The bite from those little rattlers can be far worse and, and more deadly to a dog than adult rattlers. The little ones inject a full dose of their venom when they strike, not a more measured dose they might get from an adult snake.

So just a word of caution if you walk your dog at the beach.

RT


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## marathonman (Jan 15, 2013)

We're taking our pup to a snake aversion training in April. Snakes are already out in the east bay so anything we can do to help prevent a bite is worth a shot. Just a little insurance since we do quite a bit of hiking in snake prone areas. I know the snake aversion training is offered pretty regularly in San Diego and would give you a little extra peace of mind. (I believe the company is based there)

RBD, I'm aware of how nasty Mojave Greens are. I grew up in the Mojave (Ridgecrest). My parents had a cat a couple years ago get nailed near the eye by one (couldn't fight off the venom). They didn't realize what made him sick until my dad nearly stepped on it walking behind the house.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

Rufus said:


> RT got his rattlesnake vaccine at 6 months. Will be taking him for the snake avoidance class when he comes home from Willowynd Ranch next month.
> 
> I would be very watchful if you take your V to the beach for his walks, because, believe it or not, there are allot of juvenile rattlesnakes at the beach this time of the year. Up here in Ventura County the little devils get washed down with the brush and other detritus from the barrancas when it rains. They like to hideout in the trash and woodpiles that collect on the beach. The bite from those little rattlers can be far worse and, and more deadly to a dog than adult rattlers. The little ones inject a full dose of their venom when they strike, not a more measured dose they might get from an adult snake.
> 
> ...


Thanks! We live at the beach and never noticed the snakes until we got Miles. I feel good about running him in the morning there bc it's cold at 5:45am, but in the afternoon we are definitely careful. Never would have thought there would be rattlesnakes on the beach! We've also got them at the lagoon across the street from our house, and the ravine down the road. If it's really hot they come into our neighborhood and sun themselves on the decks and sidewalks, thus Miles is forbidden to outdoor access when we are not home and we check before we go out back. 

I feel like we live in the wild kingdom. I was shocked at the amount of wild life in the community, I guess that means our neighborhood has been respectful of the natural environment so the animals stick around. It's kind of fun sometimes because I love seeing the deer, ducks, fish, and hawks at the lagoon which is preserved in our city, but it can also be a bit nerve wracking worrying about the coyotes and snakes.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

Thanks everyone for sharing about vaccines and snake aversion! Sounds like most of you have had good experiences with it so maybe we should try it.


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## simpletea (Mar 10, 2013)

We live in Oceanside but hike San Elijo often. 

Side note: I met my husband in the jungles of Costa Rica by the border of Panama (lots and lots of extra critters!). He helped me kill a chicken and then he killed a snake with his machete and I knew it was love. Mind you I grew up in Carlsbad so all of this was quite new to me (and my family!) 

Hiking San Elijo we have heard the rattle a couple of times. I try to stay calm but of he course just looks at me and laughs (no he doesn't kill them). Its my own Latino crocodile dundee! 

We are not sure when we will be getting our V. I have been in communication with a great breeder but she will not be breeding until Fall-ish maybe early next year.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

simpletea said:


> We are not sure when we will be getting our V. I have been in communication with a great breeder but she will not be breeding until Fall-ish maybe early next year.


Are you doing a San Diego breeder? We are expecting our second in May


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## SkyyMax (Apr 5, 2012)

Our dogs will be getting rattlesnake vaccine in May, plus we are planning to attend the avoidance clinic.
I would be curious to see if they remember last year clinic, Max was still a young puppy and Skyy came to us only a few days prior.


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## luv2laugh (Oct 6, 2011)

We get the boy the vaccine and will be doing the snake avoidance training.

I've heard there is different quality in trainings. Oso is our little snake detector. We have to pull him along a trail (even if the snake is 10 ft off the trail). It's great for us! I remember finding info and I think relating my snake training experience on the forum, definitely search if interested.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

An update. We've decided to go with the vaccine and next year once our second pup is born and old enough they will both go to aversion training. Thanks for everyone's input!!


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## Rudy (Oct 12, 2012)

;D

taste like bad chicken

We killed 1000's remote they love the heat of the rocks direct sun

only when they got near

they do do some good

and rbd is correct

Sir Coppertopper was bitten 3x in 18 years

he won

why the frog?

why not lol

the smaller the rattler more deadly


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## marathonman (Jan 15, 2013)

We went to our April rattlesnake aversion class and we feel it paid off (pup was 6.5months old). My wife was out hiking in the East bay hills and stopped for a moment. Our pup continued to explore as he is apt to do. As he was called back, my wife heard a yelp and he came back running with his tail between his legs and nervous (no bites). He stuck close for the rest of the hike. The yelp was exactly like the one he let out during the aversion training when he got shocked. We can't say definitively that he ran into a snake, but with the prevalence of them in our area and his reaction we assume it was. He's gotten spooked several other times since then as well. Although we don't want him running into snakes regularly, I feel it's probably good that he had a reinforcing event and responded appropriately for his snake aversion training several weeks after.


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