Snake Vaccines/avoidance training?

[nitrex]

I've been off the forum the past year so it's good to be back. The wife wanted a new house, so off to work I go! Now after looking around the forum a few minutes it appears I didn't miss much as you are still discussing (arguing) who makes the best dog food!

Anyway, I'm planning a hunting trip to North Dakota this Fall. Looks like I will be in the Carson/"bleep" area the last week of October. Are Rattle snakes an issue that time of year?

Nitrex

[mask]

I have never hunted ND that time of year but snakes were around at the end of sept. and early oct. I use the snake vac and carry meds anytime snakes are a possibility.

[tfbirddog2]

I would just get the shot and have half the worries out of the way with a bit of security! All of my dogs are vaccianated, since in 9 years I have had 2 dogs bit in octber. both survived, both bit in the face.

[cjhills]

No snakes that late. I've never seen any in late Sept. Cj

[nitrex]

Thanks for the help!

Nitrex

[Cactus]

So Cal is like SW Arizona, lots of snakes. I talked to a Vet two weeks ago who has an office in San Diego County. She has already treated 5 dogs for snake bites this year. I'd recommend the vaccine AND snake avoidance training. I saw something in the last issue of Western Outdoor News that Web Parton will be offering a snake avoidance clinic sometime this month is Southern California. Snake Avoidance training is like anything else, there's good training, and not so good training. Web is five star!

[kninebirddog]

The vaccine is only supposed to give you extra time to get to the vets office.
I have seen dogs for years get bit by snakes and survive with out the vaccine and know of dogs that have had the doses of vaccine and still die from their bites.
I do not vaccinate my dogs but I do snake avoidance I have had 1 dog bit in the lower jaw upper neck in the last 20 plus years and he survive ..all we can figure he saw movement in the kennel and since there were a bunch of toads out he thought that got a wiff and tried to back up and got a strike and slice and since even just residual venom can induce a lot of swelling never once did the dog act sick and I took him in for prevention of secondary infection which many times can be worse then the bite itself...
My point is I still do not buy into the vaccine as
1 if you do it yearly you are supposed to give one shot then 30 days later a second one and then if you are in the south west you are to give a shot every 4 - 6 months to keep these artificial titers up since it isn't something the body will begin to make itself.
There is no real data and never will be since they can not inject animals with real venom to do a real study of how a animal reacts to venom with and with out the vaccine and this would need to be done with the same animal to really see if the vaccine does something or not.
also the vaccine doesn't work for all snakes ..so though avoidance training will not stop an accidental run over it will how ever in majority of the cases stop a dog from being entertained by investigating a rattler and leave the scent of the snake alone..though i have seen a couple dogs over the years that even after snake avoidance still let curiosity get the best of them and though they got struck they survived
So Snake Avoidance is Insurance
snake vaccine is uninsured motorist