Rattlesnake Vaccine

A few days ago, I blogged about taking the dogs to the vet for rattlesnake vaccine. Several people have expressed an interest in it so I thought I would share the story of why I am so adamant about vaccinating my dogs.

As most of you know, I used to work at an old abandoned sugar plant, running a scrap yard and occasionally pulling nighttime guard duty. My companion was Bug. Bug was a stray who was thrown away by some idiot and rescued by all of us who worked there. She loved me.

She would stay in the office with me, go outside with me, and stay in the guard shack with me. When I was not there, she roamed the 1600+ acres, checking fence lines and keeping the critter count down. My vet recommended snake vaccine for her since she was basically a free-range pup.

I cannot tell you how happy I am that I listened to my vet.

In August of 2007, Bug was bit on the cheek by a rattlesnake. Bug was biting the rattlesnake at the same time. The snake died. Bug did not.

She did get very sick, as the following pictures will attest. Her face swelled up, there was terrible drainage and she ran a fever for a few days. She was very sick. She did not die.

For any of my friends who have dogs who live in the country or who vacation in the country or who might pass through the country, please talk to your vets.


This last picture was taken in March of 2007, 5 months before the bite. I just wanted to remember how pretty she was then. She looked like this after the rattlesnake incident, also.