# snakes and dogs



## jmillercustoms (Dec 11, 2007)

I posted this originally in the huntin forum and thought i would throw it here too!

I was daydreamin about grouse hunting today and was wondering for any of you guys that go out west hunting do you carry antivenom with you or just keep the local vets # on speed dial? I groused hunted south of Pierre last year in the grasslands and while i never saw a snake I know them bastards are out there and we usually do a substantial amount of walking miles away from the road so if the dog was bit it would take awhile to get back to the truck, just lookin ahead to this year any thoughts would be great

thanks


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## jmyers (Jun 26, 2007)

Carrying anti-venom probably isn't feasible given its relatively short shelf life and requirement for refrigeration. I try and make sure I have a phone number for a local vet, when I'm hunting in rattlesnake country.

You might want to consider getting your dog vacinated for rattle snake bites. Your dog gets an initial injection followed by a booster 30 days later. Then a booster is recommended every 6 mo. However, you can get away with once per year, by getting the booster 45 days before your expected exposure to rattle snakes. The injections typically run about $30 each. The company that makes the vacine is Red Rock Biologics. They have a good website with lots of info. (Google it)

I get my dog vacinated regularly and have never had a problem. I've, fortunately, never had a run in with a rattle snake. I have heard a lot of people that have dealt with rattlesnake bites and the vacine definitely helped their dog recover quickly.

If you're going to go the vacination route, do it now to be ready for the season opener.

JMyers


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