Posted June 16, 2010
Here is a spring/summer article about Rattlesnakes that our talented webmaster and pug person-extraordinaire--Bruno Novi--has contributed:

RATTLESNAKE SEASON IS HERE!
Some urgent and conflicting news is out there, so be extremely careful and well-informed on this important subject.

Rattlesnake fear
One of the most feared, nondomesticated animals for many of us is the rattlesnake. The reasons vary from its silent, sinuous movement, its flickering tongue, to the rattling sound. But for pet owners we should fear it because of its poisonous, sometimes fatal bite. Small pets are particularly vulnerable.

The season and geographical area
The rough range of the yearly appearance of the rattlesnake is from March to October. As the temperature increases, they become more active.

Their territory is mostly in the lower United States and Mexico, but some species are widespread in North America including the Canadian Western Provinces.

The most dangerous poisonous snake, because of its bite and the highest number of fatalities from its venom, is the Western Diamond Back. It inhabits mountains, the seacoast, inland plains, desert areas—just about everywhere, so you may not be immune to its visit.

Perhaps we could try to avoid the snake all together.

Make your yard snake-proof
1) Cut the lawn down to where you can see all objects in the grass, and trim any grassy bush areas.

2) Eliminate (very carefully) piles of wood or leaves.

3) Eliminate anything they can nest/hide in.

4) Eliminate their food: rodents.

5) Keep doors closed and install screen doors to guard against sudden unwanted entry when you open an exterior door.

6) Patch cracks, holes, etc., any unnecessary foundation and ventilation holes.

7) Eliminate wild bird feeders (if you are willing to, as they attract rodents and some snakes eat birds as well). This does not apply to hummingbird feeders.

Any other snake-proofing tricks?
If you are wondering if there’s anything else you can do to make your yard snake-proof, of special note are the so-called snake-repellant formulas. The only thing we will point out is that some animal repellants use Naphthalene, also used in mothballs, which has been reported to cause severe illness to pets and creatures, let alone to humans. Although most of the popular snake repellants claim they are pet friendly, they almost all use Naphthalene, which, according to Wikipedia:

"Exposure to large amounts of naphthalene may damage or destroy red blood cells. Humans, particularly children, have developed this condition, known as hemolytic anemia, after ingesting mothballs or deodorant blocks containing naphthalene. Symptoms include fatigue, lack of appetite, restlessness, and pale skin. Exposure to large amounts of naphthalene may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, blood in the urine, and jaundice (yellow coloration of the skin).

"When the U.S. National Toxicology Program exposed male and female rats and mice to naphthalene vapors on weekdays for two years, male and female rats exhibited evidence of carcinogenic activity based on increased incidences of adenoma and neuroblastoma of the nose, female mice exhibited some evidence of carcinogenic activity based on increased incidences of alveolar and bronchiolar adenomas of the lung, and male mice exhibited no evidence of carcinogenic activity.

"The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies naphthalene as possibly carcinogenic to humans and animals [Group 2B]. The IARC also points out that acute exposure causes cataracts in humans, rats, rabbits, and mice; and that hemolytic anemia, described above, can occur in children and infants after oral or inhalation exposure or after maternal exposure during pregnancy."

There is at least one manufacturer who claims to use a naphthalene-free formula to repel snakes, but we do not know what's in it, or whether or not it is effective. It is up to you to do the research if this is the way you want to go, but be super-informed. Ask your vet/health professional and do an Internet search. As always, do not put anything in your home or yard that may cause you or your pet any harm.

Possible Outside encounters

Check the immediate area (porch or other) before you fully open the door. We have heard of many residents seeing a snake soaking up the heat from their concrete porch. If you hike, walk your pet on a short leash in the center of a wide path. Snakes hide in tall grasses and near or under rocks--don’t let your pet sniff/wander there. For pet owners, wear boots or at least closed-toe shoes/sneakers with heavy, yet loose jeans.

If you see a snake, back away! Do not threaten it or try to scare it, just walk away in a different direction and avoid this area in the future.

If your dog (or cat) is bitten:

a) Try to remember the description of the snake as it will help the medical staff with the anti-venom.

b) Be calm so you do not excite your pet as venom surges with movement and/or the release of adrenalin. Restrict your pet's movement. (Immobilize the limb if bitten there.)

c) Walk the dog slowly to the car, or carry it if at all possible.

d) Some bites really hurt the animal, so attempting to touch the wound is not advised--a makeshift muzzle may be necessary to avoid being bitten by the dog.

e) Do not cut the bite area to aspirate the venom.

f) Do not apply ice to the area.

g) Drive (safely) to the nearest pet emergency clinic/hospital immediately!

Bite Signs
You may see one, two, or several small puncture wounds, bleeding and bruising immediately, and extremely painful swelling at the site of the bite. The more severe signs may take up to several hours to appear and include shock, lethargy and weakness, muscle tremors, nausea, vomiting, and other signs including depressed respiration.

According to Dr. Mike Richards, VMD, in an article at peteducation.com: “If there’s any question the pet has been bitten, then it wasn’t bitten.” In other words, the symptoms are marked, especially the bite from a Copperhead species. However, it’s best to take preventative measures and drive to the nearest animal emergency clinic to get it checked out if you think a bite is at all possible.

Effective Treatment
Now, for the good news (whew!). A study shows if your pet is treated promptly by a veterinarian with Antivenin (a product consisting of antibodies made by horses), intravenous fluids, and other procedures, the mortality rate is less than 1%. The untreated patients’ mortality rate depends on many factors: the movement of the pet after the bite, the species of snake, and much more. However, that rate could be as high as 35%. So, warning: the antivenom shot is very expensive, anywhere from $100-$200 a vial to $700 for a more recent pure sheep-origin vial (a large dog requires several vials). Yet, and that is a big yet, it will probably save the dog’s life.

Vaccine Heads Up! Conflicting Reports
Because a vaccine exists and sounds like another option in the fight against the venom, it's worth mentioning here. There is a debate going on (vets and dog owners on both sides), so be very careful and be very informed! Upon researching this, and I am very glad I did, I read about dogs who had no adverse reactions to the vaccine, but I also read that, upon being bitten, the dogs still required very special urgent care and there was no evidence that the initial vaccine helped the dog. In addition, I read many sad letters where the dogs (large and small) suffered tremendously and many times fatally from reaction to the vaccine. Yet, I still run across websites of veterinarians encouraging/advertising the shot without even a mention of adverse reactions! If that isn’t enough information for you to make a judgment call then here’s one more bit: UC Davis (one of the most prestigious schools for veterinarians) wrote this: “Based on existing evidence, the UC Davis VMTH does not currently recommend routine vaccination of dogs for rattlesnake envenomation, and the vaccine is not stocked by our pharmacy.”

In Summary
Be informed: The rattlesnake is not the only poisonous snake around.
There are several other species of dangerous snakes and many more snakes that are not harmful. Read up about snakes in your area at the library or online, and learn to identify which snakes are dangerous (poisonous) and which are not. The life you save could well be your own pet's.

Our thanks to the following sources: worsleyschool.net, vetinfo.com, stretcher.com, peteducation.com, encyclopedia.com and cbs8.com, covemountainkennels.com/category/rattlesnakes/
www.marvistavet.com/
html/body_rattlesnake_bites_in_california.html and wikipedia.org .

The information in this article is strictly a generalization on this topic and is not to be construed as all the necessary and full information there is. Pugzoo.com does not give medical advice. If you have questions related to this article please consult with your pet's health professional.

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