1st Diamondbacks of the new year

notamustang · Mar 12, 2005

Dogs found one and I found the other. I had three out of five dogs snake bit last year. 4200.00 in vet bills. One was bit by a wetern diamondback and the other two were bit by pacific rattlers. Almost lost one dog, vet had a kennel side chair and spent most of the night watching her. She had her first vial of antivenom 35 minutes after being bit. Had a 2nd 1 hour later and almost had a third. At 500 bucks a pop it gets real pricey real quick.
There is a new product out that gives the effect of a one to two vials and it is a series of two shots delivered once or twice a year. The company is Red Rock Biologics, I hopefully will not need to test this product but my dogs aint to bright /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif I will let you all know if it works /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif 75 bucks for shots as oposed to 1300 for a bite treatment.
Just passing it on, and welcome any coments.

Steven

getut · Mar 12, 2005

Wow... thats scary.

I'm not looking forward to this summer here. I'm about as far from you as you can get, but we have trouble with Copperheads here. I killed 3 last year and I know my goofy black lab is going to try to play with one when he finds it. I say play completely seriously, because if it moves, he thinks it should be a toy.

Hopefully Copperhead antivenom won't be as expensive for me. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

bczoom · Mar 12, 2005

( Wow... thats scary. )

Yep....

Glad I live in an area where the "bad" critters are few and far between (or at least hide).

Stephen, hope it works for you and your dogs.

Brian

Unclebuck257 · Mar 13, 2005

Yeah, with the warmer weather here in Texas that we've been having, I figure our rattlers and cottonmouths are coming out now too. Glad to hear your dogs pulled through.

I don't know what your situation is, but I've got 50 acres here and I live out in the country where I can and do shoot on my place. On some summer evenings, just to relax, I get a couple of the younger men together, and we ride our ATVs around my place, especially my two stock tanks (ponds). With us, we've each got a 12 guage and 2-3 boxes of shells.

On an average trip out like that, we'll kill about 75-90 rattlers and cottonmouths, combined. That seems to thin them out somewhat, but I have to do it at least twice a year to keep them down. The evenings are better because the hot sun is going down, it's getting cooler and it seems they're coming out more. Besides, it's a lot of fun too.

EastTexFrank · Mar 13, 2005

( we'll kill about 75-90 rattlers and cottonmouths )

That'll get the nature lovers and Sierra Club up in arms. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Don't worry, I'm with you. Rattlers, copperheads, cottonmouths ... meet 20 gauge. Those things are just plain dangerous when they're around the house. I'm not going out to hunt them but if I run across one while going about my business, it's history.

I have had one dog snakebit and I don't intend to have another if I can help it. I'm glad to hear that there is a cheaper alternative coming on the market. That old anti-venom could get expensive in a hurry. The one that got bit is going to find a snake if it's around, she's into everything when she's outside. She's always getting bit, stung, cut and torn up. She spends almost as much time at the vet as she does at home. Darn it, she's the most expensive $10 dog I've ever bought. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

notamustang · Mar 13, 2005

Yall gonna love this /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I dont kill them, I catch them and relocate mine. I have kept reptiles for years and its really not a big deal. Either effort will only slow them down, if theres food and water they will be there. We have had big fire here about 1.5 years ago and now with all the rain +13" above normal they will be out in force this year. What ya gonna do.
Steven

notamustang · Mar 13, 2005

Getut and BCZOOM thanks. I understand the dogs mentality "Hey look its a rope toy with a rattle" /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
I tried the avoidence training with one dog and that was the "smart" one...wish the offered refunds. That was the one that almost died oh did I mention that all three bites were with in 3 weeks of one another.

Steven

penokee · Mar 13, 2005

Wow - that snake thing is scarey. I hunt with my yellow lab in Montana, near the Yellowstone River - numerous snakes, but hunt in the cool Fall weather, so she hasn't been bit. We have Bears, Timber Wolves, Fishers and an occasional Puma - I'll take them before the snakes - always been afraid of snakes. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
penokee

GRUMPA · Mar 13, 2005

Snakes for most people are scary, but as a rule they will try and avoid human contact. Many of the ones I've come across will do 1 of 2 things, stay stationary and make noise or get away from you. I have never in my life actually had 1 come to me. And I've been around them for going on 40yrs now.

Junkman · Mar 13, 2005

In CT, we have what are known as Black Racers. If you run from them, they will chase you. They are a harmless snake and keep the mouse population down. I had one that lived under a old rotting wood pile for years until we did some landscaping and removed the wood. Don't know where he moved to, but we now have mice.... or had mice, since the mouse/rat poison has been working well. Junk..