tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684843.post9001206534686010270..comments2024-03-26T22:16:26.572-04:00Comments on Terrierman's Daily Dose: Coffee and ProvocationPBurnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781540805883519064noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684843.post-53417822686824081352010-04-18T22:56:59.989-04:002010-04-18T22:56:59.989-04:00Fortunately, the only rattler I have seen when tra...Fortunately, the only rattler I have seen when traveling south was at the rest stop just south of Rte 1 & US 13 in Delaware. It was in the center of the foot path in the dog walk area. It was a foot long and full if piss and vinegar, a quick yank on the lead and we took another route. <br />Haven't seen one again, but I am especially careful at these rest stops.HTTrainerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02067970362951618569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684843.post-50440688686135016092010-04-18T20:25:47.503-04:002010-04-18T20:25:47.503-04:00Patrick; I think you are on the right track with t...Patrick; I think you are on the right track with the idea that many snakebites are "dry" bites, and people often misidentify the snake.<br />It looks like the idea of using Vitamin C for snakebites (and spider and insect bites) goes back to the 1930's, when they were trying it for just about anything under the sun, and had not developed many effective treatments for a lot of diseases yet.<br />Intramuscular injections of acidic compounds like vitamin C are very painful and can cause inflammation and tissue damage, so they might actually cause some harm, especially in the large volumes they are talking about online.<br /><br />@Kitty Carroll;<br />There is a rattlesnake vaccine produced by Red Rock Biologics.<br />(http://www.redrockbiologics.com/FAQ.html)<br />It is produced using western diamondback venom, and provides variable cross-protection against most western rattlesnake species.<br />They claim that it does not work as well against eastern diamondbacks. The rationale behind the vaccine makes sense-antivenin is produced by injecting small amounts of venom repeatedly into horses or sheep and then collecting the antibodies-and they say using the vaccine gives the dog the equivalent of 2-3 vials of anitivenin. There haven't been any controlled trials, and there probably won't be, so the vaccine has the same problem as treatments like vitamin C-variability in the severity of snakebites.Vaccinated dogs can still be treated with antivenin though, and some cases of vaccinated dog that were bitten look like the vaccine does reduce morbidity and mortality. The vaccine is fairly cheap (about 5$ a dose from the manufacturer) and Anivenin is very expensive and has been hard to get for the last couple of years, so if your dogs are at high risk, it might be worthwhile. Sometimes the vaccine can cause some temporary, localized swelling, but otherwise it seems safe. I use it for my dogs and for clients who hike or hunt in areas where snakes are common, but have not had any dog's I have vaccinated bitten yet. I have heard some rumors of some veterinarians charging a lot (up to $200) for the vaccine. It only costs about $125 for a full box of 25 doses, so if those stories are true, those vets are clearly ripping off their clients.Bartimaeushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04041170926124714639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684843.post-42511582220034640642010-04-18T16:38:45.936-04:002010-04-18T16:38:45.936-04:00Regarding rattlesnake bites. I remember reading C...Regarding rattlesnake bites. I remember reading Covey Rise magazine (www.coveyrise.net) that there is a vaccine for rattlesnake bite. Apparently it is a lot cheaper than a vet bill for rattlesnake bite treatments.Karen Carrollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01602911871393351134noreply@blogger.com