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Rattlesnake Vaccine?

do any of you guys get your dogs this vaccine? We've already had 4 dogs bitten this summer so far... 1 died and not so sure a second one bit Friday is gonna live or not. If any of you guys get your dogs vaccinated for this, is it effective or do you know and what is the cost of this. I have a young dog carrying the mail right now and dont want to ruin this pup with a snake bite or lose him to one. I may have to quit pushing him so hard but that wouldn't be doing him just.

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B. Richards

Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid! (John Wayne)

Sorry to hear about your dogs...

A few things yo can do to help...with the shock collar on high (to make a statement)...

Find and kill a rattlesnake...refrigerate if needed to keep it fresh...

Make sure dog is secure in kennel or is tied up...Put shock collar on dog...have dogs see and smell snake...

Have snake touch dog a few times while you have snake in your control...shock dog each time snake touches him...skip a day and do it again...repeat after a few more days...

You’ll know it’s working if dogs is acting like he saw or smelled a snake...

In the woods if he smells or sees one he will give it space...

__________________
Training dogs is not so much about quantity, it's more about timing, and the right situations...After that it's up to the dog....A hunting dog is born...

I recently started one of mine on it. It is a two shot series and then an annual booster. Not sure if it is effective or not, but we have a lot of them here in north Texas. It cost $15 per shot at my vet....figured it was a small price to pay if it works.

__________________
Tim Green
Retired Air Force 24+ years
Disabled Veteran

quote:

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Originally posted by Tim Green
I recently started one of mine on it. It is a two shot series and then an annual booster. Not sure if it is effective or not, but we have a lot of them here in north Texas. It cost $15 per shot at my vet....figured it was a small price to pay if it works.

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Rattlesnakes

In the deep South you have 2 of the worst rattlesnakes, the Eastern Diamondback and the Canebrake ( Timber rattlesnake) the experts say the Canebrske venom is a bad dose that has neurological elements in the venom. Most animals and humans will die from an untreated Canebrake or Eastern Diamondback bite. Dogs usually die from either bite unless vet care and anti venom is given soon after bite. Dogs running tracks through snake country are at a high risk for getting bit on track or treeing in thick cover. Research these 2 snakes and you will discover just how bad a bite from either snake can be. Most hunters hunting in these snakes locations know that already. They say the rattlesnake shot can give you more time to seek medical attention, but you still need to get your dog to a vet for anti venom in case they get bit. They say the shot is not effective for cottonmouths or copperhead, but neither snake will not usually be fatal to a dog. When I summer hunted I DID NOT hunt in rattlesnake country and never had a dog killed by snake bite. Got several copperhead bit, swelled but recovered. Hunting in rattlesnake locations is putting your dogs at high risk, the rattlesnake shots would be good insurance, it would buy you time to get the dog to a vet. The vet treatment for Rattlesnake bites is very expensive. It's best to not get them bit. Dave p.s. My research shows average cost for vet treatment and anti venom cost on average 1000 to 3000 dollars, expensive.

__________________
Dave Richards Treeing Walkers Reg American Saddlebred and Registered Rocky Mt. Show Horses

quote:

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Originally posted by 2nd Mac
Tim what vet are you using? I might give the shots to mine. They get cottonmouth bit pretty regularly but get over them in 2 or 3 days on their own. Rattle snakes are a different story and I’ve got plenty of those too.

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__________________
Tim Green
Retired Air Force 24+ years
Disabled Veteran

GET BENADRYL DOWN THEM AS SOON AS YOU CAN AND FEED THEM HOG LARD,I HAD ONE RATTLE SNAKE BIT 2 DIFFERENT TIMES AND LIVED THROUGH BOTH OF THEM.

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quote:

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Originally posted by okreddog56
GET BENADRYL DOWN THEM AS SOON AS YOU CAN AND FEED THEM HOG LARD,I HAD ONE RATTLE SNAKE BIT 2 DIFFERENT TIMES AND LIVED THROUGH BOTH OF THEM.

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quote:

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Originally posted by okreddog56
GET BENADRYL DOWN THEM AS SOON AS YOU CAN AND FEED THEM HOG LARD,I HAD ONE RATTLE SNAKE BIT 2 DIFFERENT TIMES AND LIVED THROUGH BOTH OF THEM.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Tim Green
I recently started one of mine on it. It is a two shot series and then an annual booster. Not sure if it is effective or not, but we have a lot of them here in north Texas. It cost $15 per shot at my vet....figured it was a small price to pay if it works.

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Rattlesnake bites

Research says up to 40 percent of rattlesnake bites are dry bites where little or no venom is injected. Folks saying their dog survived a rattlesnake bite without vet and anti venom treatment may have been where the dog received a dry bite. I definitely do not think a dog will survive a rattlesnake bite with full envenomation without getting anti venom treatment. If the snake is stirred up or attacked it will inject venom, if bit in passing it may not inject venom. Dave

__________________
Dave Richards Treeing Walkers Reg American Saddlebred and Registered Rocky Mt. Show Horses

Snake Bite

I hunted in Texas a couple of summers, and the men I hunted with kept dexamethasone on hand for snakebite. Dogs are often killed from going into shock, and the steroid helps. I have some in the door of m hunting r=truck now....

I use bio delta and haven’t lost any to snakes. The steroids in it seems to stop the swelling.

In short, the vaccine does work, for some. It has been out for around ten years now, maybe more. When it first became available I researched it heavily being I live in an area that is full of rattlesnakes. That research, and help from my vet concluded it isn't worth risking not getting the shots for your dog. They are cheap now, but ten years ago was a different story. As for the effectiveness, the vaccine is made from a western diamondback venom. This snake is a different species from the canebrake and eastern. The vaccine carries about a 65-80% effectiveness rate on bites from the canebrake. Both canebrake and western have a single system venom that works on the circulatory system. The eastern is a much more nasty snake, with venom working on the circulatory and nervous systems. The company that makes the stuff stated they have no way of knowing how effective it would be for an eastern bite, but would put it at around 20-30% chance of working. That's way better than 0% if you don't give it to them. I live in the deep south, square in the heart of the domain of a lot of nasty creatures. I have witnessed dogs bitten by every pit viper we have down here, both vaccine and not, and the ones that have had the vaccine seem to fair much better with any of the bites, with exception of the eastern. Canebrakes, cottonmouths and copperheads have all struck dogs and they hardly swell up when vaccinated, and they do not tend to lay around for several days as others have that survived but wasn't vaccinated. The Eastern Diamondback is a much different story. I know of only one that survived the bite and it was vaccinated, but almost died at the vet's office. Every other time I have found the bite to be fatal. An Eastern is something that is better left alone, by both humans and hounds. They normally will not bite if not provoked, and will look for an escape route away from you. They are a deadly snake, and most cases of human death here in the south comes from the bite of the eastern. I think the vaccine is well worth the price but if you go by odds, there is a better chance of your hound being eaten by an alligator than killed by a rattlesnake down here. To my knowledge, no hound has ever survived the bout with the American alligator, and the gator looks at them as a delicacy. We have been in the swamp at night and looked across the lake and seen nothing but eyes reflecting back at us. That's when you know the hunt has lasted to long in that area. Those lizards will grab a hound off a tree and never to be found again the hound. I will take my chances with the snakes.

__________________
Robert " Rock" Johnson

Johnson Creek Kennels
home of:
UKC Grand Nite Champion "PR" Yadkin River Addkis. Deceased 12/11/2016 RIP

2009/2010/2011/2012 AKC GA. State Leader and Supreme Grand Nite Champion Yadkin River Addkis

2010 ACHA Georgia State Champion Grand Nite Champion Yadkin River Addkis

PKC Champion Yadkin River Addkis

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I have used it for years and feel that it helps greatly with the swelling and inflammation. You will still want to get the dog to the vet as soon as possible. It cost me $25/dose and is mighty cheap insurance.
Adios,
Gary

Replies

Thanks guys lots of info and opinions here and from what I gathered from it all is pretty much what Woodrow F Call said.... its better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it! As for me and mine I believe he'll have it. Good luck and good hunting guys

__________________
B. Richards

Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid! (John Wayne)

I run 6-8 hounds at a time so my bill for the vaccine is a little higher than your. One dog is a no-brainer...
Adios,
Gary

I’ve got an appointment to have mine vaccinated Monday. $15/dose is too cheap not to try it in my territory.

quote:

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Originally posted by 2nd Mac
I do the benedril along with Dex. It does help

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Rock Johnson

Mr. Johnson, you erred in the type of venom found in the Canebrake, research has found that the Canebrake venom contains neurological elements and little hemmoragic elements. Experts consider the Canebrake venom to be more toxic than the Eastern Diamondback venom, although the Eastern Diamondback delivers more venom per bite. You do not want to get bit by either the Canebrake or the Eastern Diamondback, nor do you want your dogs to get bit by either snake. I hear you loud and clear regarding those gators. I am sure glad we do not have gators in East Tennessee. Although Canebrake are classified as Timber Rattlesnakes and not a subspecies, the Canebrake venom is very different in that it contains the neurological elements that the mountain timber rattlesnakes do not have. Dave

__________________
Dave Richards Treeing Walkers Reg American Saddlebred and Registered Rocky Mt. Show Horses

we agree to disagree then. I haven't looked it up years, but it has been known since I was a child the eastern is the most deadly of all rattlesnake species and the one snake you most want to avoid in the south. I don't like any of them, but I can only tell it like I am told and what I have found to be true. Only good thing about a gator is he eats snakes! All snakes.

I just looked it up again. go to the city of winterpark fla. .org and read it. Eastern is not to be played with.

__________________
Robert " Rock" Johnson

Johnson Creek Kennels
home of:
UKC Grand Nite Champion "PR" Yadkin River Addkis. Deceased 12/11/2016 RIP

2009/2010/2011/2012 AKC GA. State Leader and Supreme Grand Nite Champion Yadkin River Addkis

2010 ACHA Georgia State Champion Grand Nite Champion Yadkin River Addkis

PKC Champion Yadkin River Addkis

Bright Eye Lights


Treeing Walkers

912-663-5287 cell (perfered)

Rock

I think you missed my point, the Canebrake venom has neurotoxin properties while the Eastern does not. Both snakes are not to be messed with, the Eastern delivers more venom per bite making it more dangerous, but the Canebrake venom is more toxic. Dave

__________________
Dave Richards Treeing Walkers Reg American Saddlebred and Registered Rocky Mt. Show Horses

Re: Rattlesnakes

quote:

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Originally posted by Dave Richards
In the deep South you have 2 of the worst rattlesnakes, the Eastern Diamondback and the Canebrake ( Timber rattlesnake) the experts say the Canebrske venom is a bad dose that has neurological elements in the venom. Most animals and humans will die from an untreated Canebrake or Eastern Diamondback bite. Dogs usually die from either bite unless vet care and anti venom is given soon after bite. Dogs running tracks through snake country are at a high risk for getting bit on track or treeing in thick cover. Research these 2 snakes and you will discover just how bad a bite from either snake can be. Most hunters hunting in these snakes locations know that already. They say the rattlesnake shot can give you more time to seek medical attention, but you still need to get your dog to a vet for anti venom in case they get bit. They say the shot is not effective for cottonmouths or copperhead, but neither snake will not usually be fatal to a dog. When I summer hunted I DID NOT hunt in rattlesnake country and never had a dog killed by snake bite. Got several copperhead bit, swelled but recovered. Hunting in rattlesnake locations is putting your dogs at high risk, the rattlesnake shots would be good insurance, it would buy you time to get the dog to a vet. The vet treatment for Rattlesnake bites is very expensive. It's best to not get them bit. Dave p.s. My research shows average cost for vet treatment and anti venom cost on average 1000 to 3000 dollars, expensive.

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Yotetrapper

Just about every state in the South has rattlesnakes, but they tend to be found in certain areas. In my case, they are mostly found in the bigger mountains, the ridges and valleys do not have Rattlesnakes. The locals can tell you where the rattlesnakes are mostly found, now in some places they are widespread and hard to avoid if you hunt when they are out and crawling. I only hunt in rattlesnake country when they are denied up for winter ( late fall through March ). In Florida, Georgia, Texas and other deep South states they may be out in December on a warm day. Hope this helps. Dave

__________________
Dave Richards Treeing Walkers Reg American Saddlebred and Registered Rocky Mt. Show Horses

Re: Re: Rattlesnakes

quote:

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Originally posted by yotetrapper
Having only lived in the south for a few years, what would you consider "rattlesnake country" to be? Do you mean a specific type of terrain, or just anywhere Rattlesnakes are known to be?

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