Heading out west - snake precautions.
We'll be heading out to Scottsbluff country in a few weeks and I know there are rattlesnakes out there. I don't plan on taking our dog to the monument - he will be day boarded when we do - but on the...
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Hi,
We backpack and raft in snake country with our dog every year and while we keep out eyes out (and detour around snakes whenever possible), so far (knock on wood), it hasn't been an issue for us. As others have said, snakes seem to leave areas where there are people. When we do encounter a snake, our dog (Australian Shepherd) tends to leave then alone. That said, the snakes along the southern boarder are more toxic (but I have heard less aggressive) than others so having a good backup plan is never a bad idea. Keeping in mind that we are often many miles from a road, let alone a vet, we bring an IV kit and saline (for hydration), Benadryl, and a list of vets in the area should we ever need to evacuate her.
Another thing that hasn't been suggested (and we haven't needed to do..yet) is "snake aversion therapy", which involves shocking the dog when they show an interest in a "de-fanged" snake. Google it if you are interested in it.
Hope this helps and my suggestions is to not get too worked up about it. Your dog getting hit by a vehicle is probably more likely than getting bit by a snake.
Steve
We backpack and raft in snake country with our dog every year and while we keep out eyes out (and detour around snakes whenever possible), so far (knock on wood), it hasn't been an issue for us. As others have said, snakes seem to leave areas where there are people. When we do encounter a snake, our dog (Australian Shepherd) tends to leave then alone. That said, the snakes along the southern boarder are more toxic (but I have heard less aggressive) than others so having a good backup plan is never a bad idea. Keeping in mind that we are often many miles from a road, let alone a vet, we bring an IV kit and saline (for hydration), Benadryl, and a list of vets in the area should we ever need to evacuate her.
Another thing that hasn't been suggested (and we haven't needed to do..yet) is "snake aversion therapy", which involves shocking the dog when they show an interest in a "de-fanged" snake. Google it if you are interested in it.
Hope this helps and my suggestions is to not get too worked up about it. Your dog getting hit by a vehicle is probably more likely than getting bit by a snake.
Steve
