Rattlesnakes

I know I've seen classes mentioned on here before on training dogs to avoid rattlesnakes. I may have the luckiest lab alive. She bit a rattlesnake and lived to tell about it. We haven't seen any rattlers around camp in years and had two near the house Saturday night. We had one come in the backyard Saturday night and before I could do anything my dog ran over and bit the snake in the center of his body. Luckily she jumped away as it struck at her. What are the steps to take if your dog is bit? And anyone has any info to share on the classes I would be grateful.

Rush dog to the vet as fast as you can. If your dog is in rattle snake country, you should get the rattle snake vaccine AND do the snake avoidance training. Even if your dog gets the rattle snake vaccine, you still need to rush dog to the vet. The rattle snake vaccine just buys you more time to get the dog to the vet.

Now that your dog has bitten a snake and lived, she will probably go after them in the future. Definitely get the vaccine. Wayne from snakebreaker.com does the training. He is on this site. Make sure you tell him before the training that your dog has gone after snakes in the past. It may take some special training to break your dog.

Good point. Dog is more at risk now.

I would do your research on the vaccine. Not much hard evidence as to its effectiveness. I think it's more important to know where the local veterinarian facilities are located and have their numbers readily available to give them a heads up when you're en route if a snake bite should occur.

Get the vaccine and avoidance training. Avoidance training more effective than the vaccine.

I've interviewed vets in the heart of snake country who treat lots of bites and vaccinate lots of dogs. They say there is clearly a better outcome with vaccinated dogs.

Get some antivenom if you can.

I've only had two dogs and both instinctively stayed away from snakes and avoided them so I never went the avoidance training. I have known of dogs that were snake avoidance trained and got bit anyway due to not knowing the snake was there.

Good info to know. A couple of folks I asked said Benadryl and rest and their dogs were fine.

Fixed it for you.

I took my dog and a buddies dog to the snake avoidance training. Killed a rattler a few months ago. Led my girl downwind and she reacted violently trying to get away. His dumb dog went up to sniff it. Sometimes you can't fix stupid.

It never works on skunk dogs. I've several hit with the hot button and point or attack the next one.

Really hard to find. It is supposed to be injected iv but in a pinch subque would probably be helpful. Needs to be kept cool and you need to be prepared to treat for shock if you use. One option is to keep it on hand and take it to the vet with the dog. Most vets do not stock antivenin because it is too expensive and not used often. You can buy it over the counter in Mexico.

Ok, here is what I've learned from research. Rattlesnake is the worst snake for a dog to get bitten by. Tongue is worst place on a dog to be bitten. Most VETs (not all) are NOT giving anti venom to dogs. Animals don't respond to bites the same way humans do. However that doesn't mean they can't pass away from snake bites. Get snake vaccine, do snake avoidance training. Then get benadryl in first aid kit. If bitten administer benadryl. Give them 1 tsp for every 12.5 pounds of body weight. (Example: 1 ⅓ tablespoon for 40lb dog.)
GET TO VETERINARIAN!
Keep bite below heart.
KEEP ANIMAL CALM.
Carry dog, DO NOT ALLOW TO WALK.
You keep calm as well

How many cc’s per lbs?

Correction on previous post. Should read (Example: 1 &1/3; tablespoon for 40lb dog.) ... 15 mls = 1 tablespoon (or 5 mls = 1 teaspoon. 1cc = 1ml

So 20cc for 40lb dog?

so, are you using adult form of Benadryl?

I couldn’t get adult Benadryl in liquid form. Had to buy children’s form

Pills are easier to store/carry and stand up to heat and sunlight better. The children's is the same benadryl, just dosed differently. A human normally takes 12.5mg (child) or 25-50mg (adult).

I've been told 1 mg/pound for normal stuff, and 2 mg/pound if snake bit, so I'd go with about 30 ML for my Brittany. I carry children's liquid and a big syringe, but I also carry a piller and 25 mg tablets. If I get bit, i'm drinking the whole bottle

My first aid kit has childrens benadryl and my notes in the kit says 2 mg per lb, but I don't remember where that info came from.

I have had two dogs bit. One a very old walker hound bit high on a rear leg from a timber rattler. When she was hit she was frozen, defensive, and would not move an inch. We were stormed in with roads washed out and flooding in nowhere oklahoma, several miles from any vet, and the dog was very old so I chose to let the dog ride it out. Swelling, fever, and shaking all night. She survived and was wanting to hunt the next night.

The other was my Vizsla Blaze bit by a very small moccasin on a front leg joint. When she was hit there was a loud yelp and attempted to walk, but did not get far. Vet shaved and cleaned the bite site, gave a steroid shot and sent her home with antibiotics. Biggest worry was infection. She did fine with only a slight limp sometimes on long hunts that lasted no more than a couple years. Unlike what was posted about on this thread, Blaze from that day on has been scared to death of anything in the shape of a snake and still is. Trivia one of Blaze's siblings in Florida died last month from a rattlesnake bite. At 13 years old...

Note both dogs I had to remove my jacket to wrap around the dog's head to be able to carry them out without them biting me. Both dogs tried. Snake bites must be very painful. Another note is if your dog is bitten head neck front body etc, also remove the dog's collar in case of any swelling so the collar does not cut off the airway.