Last week I took our dog, Bella, to a veterinarian for her second dose of Crotalus Atrox Toxoid, otherwise known as rattlesnake vaccine. Until a month ago, I had no idea this anti-venom existed. Frankly, it took several phone calls to locate a facility offering the injections.    

Living next to open space, my husband and I expected and have seen our share of crawly critters from alligator lizards (Elgaria multicarinata and Elgaria coerulea) to king snakes (Lampropeltis getula californiae).  But when two juvenile Western diamond-backed rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) were discovered in a neighbor’s front yard and a rather large adult in another’s, I grew concerned due to my dog’s investigative bent and her low proximity to the ground. After all, Labrador retrievers live for their stomachs and anything that moves in fair game.

My concerns were validated when Dr. Rebekka Garberson of Animal Care Center in Vacaville indicated that direct tissue damage and possible swelling and/or closure of her airways could occur within an hour if Bella was bitten in the face or neck. And certainly Kathy Low’s May 28, 2013 blog showed the need to be alert for rattlesnakes this summer.

So can a rattlesnake vaccine protect our furry garden buddies?

Dr. Garberson noted that there are no actual studies on the vaccine’s effectiveness, but said both the risk and the reaction to a rattlesnake bite are lessened. She recommends seeking veterinarian care immediately following a snakebite, and an annual booster for

yearly protective immunity. From a pet owner’s perspective, I like to think the vaccine provides me with a window of time to rush my dog to a vet that I would not otherwise have without it.

According to product description from the manufacturer, Hygieia Biological Laboratories, Woodland, CA, “This vaccine is intended for use in healthy dogs as an aid in the reduction of morbidity and mortality due to intoxication with Crotalus atrox (western diamondback rattlesnake) toxin. The vaccine is cross-protective against the venom of several other types of rattlesnakes found in California.”  See this link for more information on this product:  http://www.drugs.com/vet/crotalus-atrox-toxoid.html

And just in case you think you really know what a rattlesnake looks like, check out the species, their locations and their photos at:

http://www.californiaherps.com/identification/snakesid/rattlesnakes.html