Look how fast blood reacts to snake venom!

[Linda and "Toby"]

A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say.... 

This is a great demonstration of how quickly blood reacts to snake venom: http://youtu.be/4WvnjCkLbvY  [No animals are used in this demo, other than having a snake bite into the rubber lid of a glass container.]  It's good to know they have a vaccine for dogs that buys them some time (slows down the coagulation process) so you can get them to a vet. Too bad they don't have this for humans who live/work/play in rural areas.

[F, Calla & Luca]

You convinced me. I'm staying home : )

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Wow, that is scary! What kind of a snake is that?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I can't watch the video, given that I know it involves a living moving snake complete with fangs. How long did it take for the venom to have an effect?

[F, Calla & Luca]

Seconds. They had blood in a beaker, added a drop or two of venom and there was a total clot virtually immediately.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Wow.

[Linda and "Toby"]

If you don't want to see the snake, pause the video the moment it starts and then move the video stream button-thingie (scrubber?) over to 47 seconds. This way, all you will see is the scientist putting a drop of venom from a syringe into a glass of blood - and it will shock you how quickly the blood coagulates!

[Jennifer and Jack]

I can't believe I actually watched that video. OMD I can't say anything else.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

oh...my....

So why does a vaccine work on dogs and can not be given to humans?   Are there different clotting factors in canines?

[F, Calla & Luca]

I don't know about clotting differences between dogs and humans. but I doubt that's the reason. Testing is more stringent and FDA approval is needed for people. I don't know if that's true for dog vaccines. There was a human Lyme vaccine, for instance, but that was pulled off the market although I don't remember exactly why.

[Sharon & Monty]

OMD!! In our neck of the woods we have rattlers and Copperheads.  A human would have in most cases plenty of time for emergency care.  In my previous marriage we had copperheads at our camp, no big deal........except for tiny bodies, like my daughter or the dog because it was an hour drive to the hospital. So now I live in the mountain and watch for those snakes  when we take walks.  

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

All the more reason to avoid snakes. I can't believe I watched that video. I am going to have bad dreams tonight now :)

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I absolutely cannot stand snakes.  Now I know why......yipes!