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How Can You Save Your Pet From Rattlesnake Season?

LOOMIS – Rattlesnake season is upon us and there's some life saving tips that can help save your beloved pets.

"I walked out and saw my brother in the waiting room and I thought, this can't be good," said Sue Mortensen.

She was working at the VCA Loomis Basin Veterinarian Clinic that night. Both of her brother's dogs were bitten by a snake.

"They say is it a hot bite? Well, there was definitely venom involved with these two bites because they swelled up immediately," Mortensen said.

If you're heading to the dog park you won't likely see a snake, but if you're on a trail and your dog is off leash, your pet is at a higher risk of being bitten.

"This is a warm enough day for snakes to be out. They warm up, they start to move, then they start to look for some food," said Dr. Alex Rensing with the VCA Loomis Basin Vet Clinic

Mortensen's Brother's dogs survived like many do because of anti-venom, but you have to take your dog to the vet for that.

"The faster you get your dog to the veterinarian to get the anti-venom, the better off," said Dr. Alex Rensing.

But she said there's also a vaccine that may help. Experts say it allows the antibodies in dogs to build.

"There's at this point in time no studies that have proven efficacy of a rattlesnake vaccine. Subjectively we think it helps dogs get to the hospital, but at this point we treat them all the same," said Dr. Rensing.

Look for a lot of swelling and your dog will be in a lot of pain if it was truly a venomous bite.

"Twenty-Five percent of snake bites overall of all rattlesnakes are dry bites, so your dog could get bit by a snake without venom, so therefor there would be no treatment," said Rensing.

Be sure to call the vet ahead of time. Not everywhere you go carries the anti-venom.

You can also take your dog to Rattlesnake Aversion Training classes to help your dogs know to stay away.

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