Snakebite Vaccination

[susan toalson]

Alfie had this vaccination last week. We spend a lot of time in dog parks and greenbelts with thick underbrush. When I read that the vaccine was available, I didn't waste any time in getting him to the vet.

If he is bitten, we would still have to get the anti-venom immediately, so I'm not sure what (if any) protection the vaccine provides, but my motto is "better safe than sorry" when it comes to Alfie.

Has anyone else gotten the vaccine? Dixie, any comments?

[Christine & Shelby]

I didn't know there was such a vaccine.... will be interested in seeing what others post on the subject!

[Dixie Moore]

I try to be sort of minimalist when it comes to vaccinations so I've never gotten it. A lot of people believe that the vaccinations we give our dogs contribute to cancers and other sicknesses as they age.

Two of my dogs have been bitten by rattlesnakes. Both survived, and one of them didn't get sick at all. That doesn't mean we would always be that lucky, of course.

After Reba was bitten back in 2005, I had all of my dogs go through snake training. There is a man in Austin who does the training at various events, mostly for hunting dogs I think.

I've heard mixed reviews of the snakebite vaccine, but that was a while back. I don't know if maybe it has been improved upon since then.

[Minga & Malu & Costa]

What snakes is it supposed to protect against? Amazingly I haven't heard of it. Not sure what good it is if you still need the anti-venom...??

[susan toalson]

It's only the Western Diamondback rattlesnake it protects against at this point. They're working on the Eastern Diamondback.
It's supposed to ameliorate the effects of a bite. Unfortunately, not enough dogs who get the vaccine actually get bit, so the research is a little ragged.