Dear Miss Paws: I’ve heard there is now a vaccine available that can be given to dogs against rattlesnake bites. Is this true? If so, would it protect my hunting dogs?Yes, it is true, however, it is not a “Magic Bullet”. There are a number of variables which could make a big difference in how effective the vaccine might be for your dogs. First of all, the vaccine was developed in California for protection against the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake and a couple of other western varieties. It is only partially effective against Eastern Diamondbacks which is the variety here. It is not effective at all against Water Moccasins, Copperheads or Coral Snakes. The name of the group that developed the vaccine and supplies it to veterinarians is Red Rock Biologics. You can read about the details of their product at www.redrockbiologics.com. Secondly, even with the vaccine, if your dog is bitten by a rattlesnake you must still rush him to your veterinarian. The vaccine maker recommends two initial vaccinations 2 months apart and then another in 6 months – more if your dog is over 100 pounds and more in the southern part of the U.S. – which, of course, we are! The shots are generally $20 to $30 each which is very reasonable compared to anti-venom which can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars – if, indeed, it is available at all. That said, your dog may still need anti-venom if the bite injected a large amount of venom or if it has been several months since your dog received his last vaccination. The vaccine tends to gradually weaken the further away from the last vaccination. Still, for valuable hunting dogs this is the first step toward protecting your experienced animals from probable death or debilitating tissue damage. I suggest you read the information available on Red Rock’s web site and then consult with your veterinarian.
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