It's That Time of Year

[Ghilly]

A friend of mine lost his dog last week under tragic circumstances, and that's why I am writing this to all of you.

D was fishing down at Matagorda Beach and had his dog, Flounder, an adorable little terrier mix, with him.  Flounder went EVERYWHERE with D, and I do mean EVERYWHERE, even to work.  Where you saw one, you saw the other.  D had been fishing all day, walking back and forth between the bay and the parking lot, which meant walking through an area with natural growth like small palms, ferns and cacti.  For a couple of hours they trekked back and forth, and then at the very end of the day when they were on their way back to the parking lot to pack up and go home, Flounder spotted the snake, a diamondback rattlesnake.  It was coiled up, apparently snoozing in the shade of a cactus, when Flounder, being a typical terrier, decided he was going to give it a run for its money.  It struck and bit him twice before D was even aware of what happened.

Flounder was a chubby little guy, but as chubby as he was, he was still a small terrier, weighing only about 20 pounds.  There was nothing D could do to save him.  In the two bites the snake gave him, he had invenomated him so severely that he was dead in 10 minutes.  

The reality of this situation, however, is that Flounder didn't have to die.  There is now a vaccine for rattlesnake bites.  It works by setting up an immunity in the dog's body that begins immediately upon invenomation to neutralize the toxins in the venom, and even though you will still need to treat the situation as an emergency, the chances are much greater that your dog will recover completely, with no lasting effects from the bite.  Tests have shown that vaccinated dogs have antibody levels as high as dogs who have received three vials of antivenom.  

So if you live in an area where there are rattlesnakes of any kind, please ask your vet about the vaccine, or stop by the clinic and ask if they have the brochure that you can take home to read.  As the weather warms up, snakes will make their appearances more and more, and even nighttime won't be a safe time because when it gets hot, snakes often hunt for food at night to avoid the heat of the day, so a pleasant evening or late night walk can turn into a nightmare.  So do your dogs AND yourselves a favor and at least look into this.  A bite can happen in a split second without any warning.  It's better to be safe than sorry.

Ghilly

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

awe am so sad reading this , my little shih tzu would do the same try and play with it shes never seen a snake and loves everything.   i will ask my vet if they have it  to, i live in georgia but have a lot of woods in my backyard , have seen lots snakes in yard most not harm you but a few rattlers so thanks for the info will be calling today.

[Jaybay]

Holy cr*p Ghilly!  That is just a tragedy all the way around.  I had no idea that a vaccine was available for rattlesnake venom.  What a boon for all the working dogs in Texas!  I'll be sure to pass the word on to my Texas relations with dogs.  Poor little Flouder.  That just breaks my heart.

[ginger899]

I'm sorry your friend lost his dog like this.

This vaccine sounds wonderful! Is this a new discovery? I have never heard of this remarkable thing before! And do you know if a vaccine has been developed for all snake bites?

The reason I ask is that although we don't have rattlesnakes where I am (UK) we DO have adders, and I was bitten by one a few years ago. It made me feel ropey for about 3 days, but the doctor said the bit had little chance of killing an adult human being. When I asked about what it might do to my dog if she was bitten, he said it might kill her. (She weighs only 28lbs) He also said it could kill a very young child.