Thoughts on rattlesnake vaccine (not the anti-venom after a bite)

[ljc]

I’ve been researching pros and cons of giving our dog a rattlesnake vaccine and am interested to know if anyone has any experience with it. We live in a prime rattlesnake area and I usually encounter rattlers many times each year (gopher and king snakes on a daily basis). I had one horse bitten a few years ago (he survived, thank goodness). We brought her to “rattlesnake avoidance” school last year but that seems to have worn off, based on her casual acceptance of other snakes (last year she avoided all of them). She’s a casual dog anyway!

I can look for another rattlesnake avoidance day or try the vaccine for preventative purposes.

Thoughts?

[clint]

I attended a rescue seminar this spring, and one of the veterinarians who spoke was from a large specialty clinic in my area. I asked him about rattlesnake vaccine, and he told me he didn’t recommend it, because the manufacturers refused to do a double blind study on it, and he didn’t think it was very effective. Since they wouldn’t prove him wrong, no recommendation from him.

[csaper58]

Is it FDA approved? If not I would not use it. The Crone of Cottonmouth County had a thread on teaching her dog to stay away from rattlers. The training if done by an experienced pro is a better option than an unapproved injection IMHO

[ljc]

Here’s one piece of information I found online:

http://www.rattlesnakevaccinations.com/

[Arrows_Endure]

I am training one of my dogs as a search and rescue dog, and we’ve been considering the rattlesnake vaccine for him. My only concern is we mostly train in Florida, and therefore our normal snakes are cottonmouth (water moccasin), eastern diamondback, pygmy rattler, and coral snakes. The vaccine says there is some protection for the pygmy, and a little bit on the eastern diamondback, but no protection for the cottonmouth (which is, of course, our most common venomous species). I have been wondering if it’s worth it for the little bit of protection it offers here.

Things to think about…

[Lauren12]

I did an externship in March at a vet clinic in the Exeter/Visalia area of California, and they vaccinated EVERYTHING against rattlesnakes. I had never heard of that before (being from the Mid-Atlantic), and was pretty terrified from then on that there was going to be a rattlesnake around every corner!

[In_The_Gate]

The rattlesnake vaccine may be helpful if used correctly though it’s efficacy is unproven. The vaccine is meant to buy time to let you get your dog to the clinic and may reduce the severity of the damage - it is NOT a substitute for anti-venom. The vaccine will get people into trouble who think their dogs don’t have to go in for treatment ASAP since they were vaccinated - those dogs may get just as sick as an unvaccinated dog due to the delay in treatment with anti-venom.

[Dressage_Diva333]

I’ve been told it increases the likelihood of surviving a bite. I vaccinated all my dogs last year, my small dog (Pug x Chihuahua), was the only one I had an issue with. She got abscesses at the injection site, with all three injections (up to three weeks later- vet said not uncommon). I didn’t do it this year (time got away!), my dogs primarily live inside or on the porch. The little dog in particular is only out for short periods of time to go potty- if one were to get bit by a rattler, we’d know immediately and they would go get anti-venom. I probably should have done it though…

[gaitedincali]

My Mom worked for a local vet that pushed the vaccine…because it was a money maker. IIRC they charged $50-ish for the shot. The vet freely admitted to her that at best it bought some time, but not enough to have a large impact on survival.

Both she and I opted to not get our dogs vaccinated.

[ljc]

After talking with my vet (both small and large-animal), I ended up bringing Dixie in for her first vaccination (second one is in 30 days). We have just too many rattlesnakes around here for me to not try something that MIGHT help. I couldn’t find another snake-avoidance class offered this summer (since last year’s seems to have worn off).

Thank you for everyone’s thoughts! As always, helpful COTHers come to the rescue.