Questions and Answers

Q: I killed a rattlesnake at my house and then let the dog go over and sniff it. Was that a good idea?

A: No, not a good idea. You just told the dog it was okay to go up to a rattlesnake. Even though the dog could probably tell the snake was dead, I discourage doing what you did even if the dog is snake proofed. If you find a rattlesnake, first gather the dogs, kids, or other critters that may be in danger, and make sure they're safe. Then, take care of the snake. Many fire departments will come and remove the snake. (check with your local fire department for their policy before you discover the first snake on your patio)

If you kill the snake by chopping its head off, dispose of the body and the head before you let the dog(s) out. Be careful, because the head continues to have reflexes hours after it is severed from the body and can bite and inject venom.

Q: How can I tell if a snake is a rattlesnake? Shannon, Phoenix

A: Rattlesnakes have a head shaped like a handmade arrowhead. Their head is larger than their neck. In Arizona, the most common species; the western diamondback, has black and white rings around the tail just before the rattles. Non venomous snakes have a head and neck the same width.

Q: I have all sorts of lizards and snakes on my property. Is there a book that identifies different types of animals? Bill, Cave Creek

A: My favorite book is: National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Southwestern States. It's a excellent field guide to plants, insects, birds, reptiles and mammals.

Q: Do you perform rattlesnake removal? Jayne, Phoenix

A: No, and I recommend Phoenix Rattlesnake Solutions for snake removal in Phoenix. They offer affordable, fast, and humane rattlesnake removal and rescue.

Q: What about this rattlesnake vaccine I've heard about? Stan, Scottsdale

A: There is a rattlesnake vaccine available. redrockbiologics  Initially, it is given as one injection with a booster injection a month later. Then a booster is needed every year. I've had my own small dogs vaccinated. It seems to me that there are two schools of thought among veterinarians about this product.  One group says they're not sure about the vaccine...not enough evidence if it works or not...doesn't cover every species of rattlesnake, etc. The other camp says, "if your dog is in an environment where they can come in contact with rattlesnakes give them the vaccine." My vet sees over 50 rattlesnake bites a year and strongly endorses the vaccine. He also strongly endorses having the dog trained to stay away from rattlesnakes in the first place.

However, the vaccine is not intended to replace training the dog to avoid rattlesnakes in the first place. A dog that is not trained is still at risk of being bitten. A rattlesnake bite is a veterinarian emergency whether the dog has been vaccinated or not. The vaccine and the training are two weapons in your arsenal against rattlesnake bites and should be used together.

Q: How does the venom thing work with rattlesnakes--the smaller the snake the more venom or the other way around? Steve, Anthem, AZ

A: The amount of venom is directly proportional to the size of the snake. The bigger the snake the more venom they have.  A defensive bite always contains more venom than a bite to obtain food. Baby rattlesnakes have venom that's more toxic than adults but less of it. The belief that baby snakes always inject their full load of venom is being challenged by some researchers that maintain even the babies can meter their venom.

Q: How many different breeds of dogs have you trained? Becky, Desert Hills

A: Here is the list. By my count it's 126 different breeds.

If I've snake proofed your dog and they are not on the list it's okay to email me and give me a heads-up bigjim@doitnow.com