18 Comments:

• When i was a small child we lived 20 miles from the nearest town and lots of rattlesnakes. we had a dog that killed them. He would pace back and forth and never bark and wait for the snake to strike. when it did, he would grab it in mid-air and shake it till he killed it. Then he would bark to let us know he had killed another one. he saved me several times and mama wouldn't let me go outside without him.

  By  Anonymous, at 6:03 AM, February 24, 2005  

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• That's an amazing story.
  
  The more I hear stories like this, the more I appreciate the absolute brilliance of these wonderful creatures!

  By  Anonymous, at 8:07 AM, February 24, 2005  

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• There is also a training classes for dogs to not even go near the snakes, and to be able to detect them without even wanting to investigate- They use a shock collar in this case.I saw it on Animal Planet one night.Pretty neat, I am just glad I don't live where rattlesnakes are primarily! EKK!

  By  Jodi, at 11:23 AM, February 24, 2005  

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• Living in Tucson, the idea of a rattlesnake vaccine is very appealing. However, our 10-yr. old Bichon died last year from immune-mediated anemia. How is introducing a potent vaccine to the system of our 1-year old Bichon going to affect his immune system? I am very paranoid about what he is exposed to and the vaccine makers haven't provided much information about long-term effects that I have been able to find. Does anyone have any reliable info on this? Much appreciated if you do.

  By  Anonymous, at 3:26 PM, May 25, 2005  

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• The vaccine's developer & manufacturer,Red Rocks Biologics, isn't very forthcoming about the risks, test results, efficacy rates,adverse reactions etc - in fact their website tells consumers absolutely nothing. Although it's now FDA approved, I notice that UC Davis' clinic (California Vet School) is still not recommending it be administered to our dogs. I think a lot of profit-hungry vets are being irresponsible by pushing this on us without enough info to make an informed decision about it.I'm going to pass until it's been on the market longer. Just too scary without any backup literature.

  By  Anonymous, at 3:42 PM, June 11, 2005  

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• I am a veterinarian who is using and recommending the rattlesnake vaccine to my clients. I suspect veterinary vaccine manufacturers don't provide a great deal of technical information directly to consumers because they think many consumers do not have the training to interpret that information. Perhaps they are concerned about lawsuits if there is a misunderstanding. As a veterinarian I can say that, in my experience, Red Rock has been quite helpful compared with other vaccine makers with respect to providing complete technical data and in answering questions. In any case, I think consumers should make veterinary decisions in consultation with their veterinarian, not by consulting with a vaccine manufacturer's web site! I did notice that Red Rock puts their telephone number on their web site - very unusual! The UC Davis veterinary school is emerging from a number of scandals right now. For the past six years they have been the only veterinary school in the United States (out of about 28) that did not have full accreditation. Also, one of their top vaccine researchers has been accused of fabricating data and plagiarism. Other veterinary schools do use the rattlesnake vaccine. It has been out for over two years and it appears to be working great.

  By  Anonymous, at 4:20 PM, July 28, 2005  

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• Life Threatening Reaction To Rattlesnake Vaccine
  
  Living in the deep south, snakes can be an issue, and when the Rattlesnake Vaccine came out, we had all of our “kids” vaccinated.
  
  Rommel was a healthy, happy German Shepherd pup, as are all of his siblings.
  
  Within 2 weeks of the vaccination, Rommel, (from a Westminster "Best of Breed" Blood Line, looked tired, laid down, and just would not eat, or hardly drink.
  
  We rushed him to our vet (PTL) we have one of the finest vet clinics in the Southeast. By the time we got him to the vet, Rommel could not walk at all and had a temperature of 106!
  
  In conjunction with Auburn University Small Animal Clinic, the vets work, researched, and could not and have not actually put a name to what had happened to Rommel. They started treating him with massive steroids, antibioditics, etc. Slowly but surely, Rommel has started slowly coming back.
  
  After a week in the hospital Rommel is able to walk (sort of) his hind legs are still not real strong, and often he looks like a drunk when he walks, but we can see improvement, a bit every day. He is still on daily medication.
  
  The best I can explain it, is that the nerves running to his spine and extremities are like electric wire, which is normally covered with a plastic or rubber covering. This “disease,” "reaction," that attacked Rommel’s system, stripped the covering off his nerves, and that is what caused his inability to move or walk.
  
  I told my husband, that I suspect that Rommel had a massive allergic reaction to the Rattlesnake Vaccine – just as some babies do to the common shots most babies can easily take.
  
  I will be talking to our vet regarding this, but we are going to stop the Rattlesnake Vaccine for all of our dogs.

  By  Vonbucket, at 5:50 PM, October 04, 2005  

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• As a practicing veterinarian in San Diego County I have had extensive experience with treating rattlesnake envenomations. First I would like to clarify that the product produced and sold by Ft Dodge and Wyeth to treat rattlesnake envenomations is called antivenin not antivenom.
  
  Treating dogs and cats that have been bitten by rattlesnakes varies from case to case. Some animals will not require much treatment while others will require long expensive hospital stays. THere are numerous factors involved in rattlesnake envenomations from the time of the year, geographical area (North CA vs South CA vs Arizona vs Texas vs Florida)to the location of the bite( head/foot/body wall), to whether is it an aggressive bite or a warning bite (ie dry bite), the age of the animal and medical history, time between treatment and the envenomation.
  
  Regarding the vaccine I have had numberous calls regarding the product and am currently trying to get information from veterinarians that have actually treated dogs that recieved the vaccine and were envenomated. SO far I have had one this season that dog was actually the worst envenomation that I had all year. (My practice see about 100 envenomations each year)I had two cases of dogs that were similar size and breed that required treatment. THe dog that was vaccinated required and additional day in the hospital. Both dogs received the equivalent of 10 vials of antivenin, blood products, pain medications, antibiotics, fluid therapy and hospitalization. The only thing that so far has been found with the dogs that have recieved the vaccine is that they tend not to swell early on but all the metabolic changes that occur with respect to the reduction in cardiovascular shock, platelet numbers, clotting disorders, the pain, are still present. THis is from person communication with vets in the area in addition to my own experience. This can lead to a false sense of security since outward signs of the envenomation seemed to be delayed.
  
  Understand that this vaccine is not FDA approved- it is USDA approved in California.( Possible some other states now) It is relatively easy to get approval for vaccines due to the agriculture industry. This is very different than FDA which requires many research studies and morbidity and mortality studies. As of Sept 2005 I believe that Colorado State University Veterianary college is begining to actually look at the vaccine critically- no other company or veterinary university has studied the vaccine. Be aware that Red Rocks Biologics is the sole source of information and is also responsible for the marketing of the product. There is no published data in a peer reviewed journal regarding this vaccine. In an era where vaccine protocols are being very scrutinized and recommendations are changing throughout the profession the idea of introducing another vaccine with unproven protection and minimal morbidity data seems questionable at best. Karen E. Seibold, DVM, Diplomat ACVECC.

  By  Karen Seibold, at 8:22 AM, October 13, 2005  

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• Our Newfoundland show dog was given red rocks rattlesnake vaccine in june 06. We walked out our back door to find a rattler coiled there so thought it a good idea. WRONG!!!!!!Three days later she was lethargic and panting heavily. She was diagnosed with Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia by two different Vets in two states.One a specialist. She has spent 1 week in doggy ICU receiving a blood transfusion and tons of meds. So far the total expense is around $4500.00. She will never be shown again IF she lives due to muscle deterioration from the prednisone. This is September and it has been an up and down fight for her life. I will NEVER give this vaccine to any other dog. Red Rocks is saying their vaccine could not possibly have caused this and has had their lawyer contact me. They do not want this information to get out. They were called by both our vets and deny ever having been called.As I said before both our vets feel it was caused by the vaccine. I would rather take my chances with the rattler. None of this vaccine is now being sold by the vet that gave it to her.
  Sherrie

  By  Sherrie Hall, at 5:58 AM, September 04, 2006  

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• My boss and his wfe have a 6 mo Golden Retriever who received the vaccine on Friday. By Sunday afternoon , she wouldn't eat or drink and had diffculty walking. Finally she couldn't walk at all. When taken to the vet they suspected meningitis, but held off on the tests until they contacted the vaccine distributor (believe Red Rocks, who denied that the vaccine could be the problem. Apparently the symptoms she has are just like meningitis. There is no proof that the vaccine has caused this, BUT there is certainly is enough potential linkage. I copied these articles from the website and faxed to the vet's office, not to question their authority, but to raise questions. Obviously it ruffled some feathers, but hopefully they are now considering that it could be the vaccine. I have contacted another vet in the southeast just to TRY to see if anyone else has had a similar experience. Currently the puppy is still in ICU - we're praying for her recovery!

  By  Virginia, at 11:29 AM, October 17, 2006  

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• We live on the frontlines of rattlesnake country. Many dogs have died of rattlesnake bites up here. Our golden retriver was vaccinated and later bitten on the cheek by a baby rattler and was back to normal in 24 hours. We have found the vaccine so successful that when the horse vet comes up he vaccinates all the dogs in the neighborhood.

  By  Anonymous, at 11:48 AM, November 05, 2006  

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• Last year my 2-year-old healthy Great Pyrenees had to be put down after receiving his first in the series of the rattlesnake vaccination. Three days after the initial shot, he began having seizures. He never he got progressively worse and never recovered. I would NOT recommend this vaccine to anyone.

  By  Anonymous, at 10:24 AM, June 02, 2007  

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• Wow, there seem to be a lot of horror stories above. Had I read these stories sooner, I would not have given my dog the vaccine, but I am glad that I did. My dog was given the vaccine a few months ago and had no adverse reaction to it. Time slipt away and I never took her back for the booster shot. Well, about a week ago she starting showing signs of a possible bite. Slight blood on a leg, swelling, favoring the leg, leg shaking, etc. I immediately took her to the vet. They simply gave her an IV, antibiotics, and pain meds. They returned her to me that afternoon and I continued the antibiotics and the pain meds for a few days. She hobbled around for 2 days, then the swelling reduced rapidly and she returned to normal. So, I think it helped my dog. But I am aware that it is a new vaccine so maybe more research needs to be done. I am at a high risk area for snakes and a neighbor suggested it to me as they give their dog the vaccine, so I followed suit. No problems for us. Maybe the size of the dog needs to be taken into account? My dog is about 45 lbs as are my neighbor's dogs.

  By  Anonymous, at 1:16 PM, September 04, 2007  

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• I talked to a couple of local vets, called the vets at Red Rock, and called the USDA about this. This seems to be the scoop: Though no vaccine is totally safe, all rattlesnakes are totally dangerous.
  
  This vaccine has been out for over 5 years now and the company that makes it has a good reputation and has been making several kinds of veterinary vaccines for over 15 years. It is licensed by the USDA which is in charge of all veterinary vaccines. Over 4,000 veterinary clinics now carry the vaccine which is pretty much a standard of veterinary practice for dogs at risk to rattlesnake bite.
  
  No university veterinary hospital recommends against the vaccination for dogs at high risk. Even the colleges that are skeptical admit it has a proven track record for being safe. The American Animal Hospital Association, which has rejected many other major vaccines, has listed this vaccine as being safe and probably effective.
  
  The real controversy seems to be that a $25 shot will prevent most of the $2,500 to $5,000 emergency vet bills from a snake bite. Some vets who practice emergency medicine (like the one vet who posted above) stands to lose hundreds of thousands per year in personal profits if the vaccine continues to be accepted. To the credit of the profession, most vets who work near rattlesnake areas recommend the rattlesnake vaccine to dogs at risk.
  
  As to the other blogers who claim that their dogs got sick from this vaccine, it would be quite amazing if the vaccine was the actual cause of their dog's sickness. According to the Red Rock and the USDA, which are required to keep records of all sicknesses from vaccines reported, fewer than one dog in about 15,000 reports such reactions. This rate of sickness is so low that even these illnesses are likely coincidental rather than due to the vaccine. (A dog’s odds of getting seriously sick in any given week of his life from all different kinds of causes is probably far greater than one in 450.)
  
  It is certainly sad for the gal who's dog got immune mediated anemia and she understandably wants someone to be angry at. But she doesn't seem to know that there are over a dozen more likely causes to her dog's particular health problem than some vaccine or this vaccine in particular. She is likely to hurt other dogs and dog owners if she frightens them away from a vaccine that would mean safety.
  
  Bottom line; according to the statistics, probably fewer than one of the 100,000+ dogs vaccinated with the rattlesnake vaccine will die from use of that vaccine this year but over 50,000 dogs will be bitten by poisonous snakes this year and, undoubtedly, the vast majority of those bitten by rattlesnakes will be seriously hurt or killed unless they are protected by the vaccine.

  By  Anonymous, at 8:00 PM, September 06, 2007  

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• Our 2 year old 75lb dog was bit above the eye by a diamond back rattlesnake. She had received the rattlesnake vaccine the year previous (she was 2 days over due for another shot when the bite occured). She was treated with steroids, an antibiotic, pain meds and benadryl. She had three days of horrible swelling and is finally recovering. She is about 70% back to her normal self 6 days into this ordeal.

  By  Anonymous, at 11:45 AM, May 11, 2008  

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• just today i went and got my dog the rattlesnake vaccine if i had read these stories before hand i probably would not have done that. i am now just hopeing that my dog is going to be alright the vet said the risk is low so i have to trust in their knowledge.

  By  Anonymous, at 2:13 PM, June 03, 2008  

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• I live in a dessert-like region of Southern California and the rattlesnake activy is quite high this year so my vet recommended the raddlensake bite vaccine. I have two young and tiny teacup Chihuahuas and a Mexican Hairless who is 15 years old and they have all tolerated the vaccine quite well. We have to go back for the booster next weekend but I don't anticipate any difficulties there. I understand they will require an annual booster which we'll just get as part of their routine care now.

  By  Anonymous, at 2:41 PM, July 22, 2008  

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• Our little 4-month Border Collie pup was diagnosed with Parvo the day after we got her (at 2 months). After extensive, often heart-rendering treatment, she survived. We read a brochure about the rattlesnake vaccine during her last vet checkup and decided to go for it--we live in the heart of rattlesnake country (Central California high desert area); an hour from civilization. We'd already invested a lot of emotion, energy and money in her recovery from Parvo; why chance losing her to rattlesnake knowing we'd already had 3 baby rattlers in our yard this summer. Our pup finished her second vaccine July 10 and on July 19 was bit on the nose by a baby rattler in our yard. Weekends and after-hours are the worst times to find quality vet care, especially if you live more than an hour from any facility. Compound the distance factor with that of trying to find a vet who stocks antivenin on the shelf. A total of two hours elapsed between her snakebite and our arrival at the emergency vet center. During that time her head and face swelled to the point I thought her lips would split. Her nostrils almost closed completely; with small bubbles escaping her nose whenever she took deep gasping breaths. The ER vet was familiar with the rattlesnake vaccine and told us our pup probably wouldn't have survived the 2-hour delay in treatment without the vaccine. Because of the cost of anti-venin treatment ($800 per vial) we decided to limit her treatment to IV fluids, a blood test (for coagulation problems), antibiotics, pain killers,and an overnight stay. The vet gave our pup a 90% chance of full recovery and the next day we took her home with a swollen face, a bag of pain pills and antibiotics, but full of her normal vitality & exhuberence. My husband says she'll do anything for a chance to sleep on the bed with us. I wasn't aware of the vaccine controversy until my neighbor told me when I recommended the vaccine for her dogs. The vaccine isn't a "cure-all:" our vet explained it will buy us enough time to get to a vet for quality care (IV fluids, anti biotics, blood tests, etc.). The vaccine did exactly that--bought us time. It also afforded us a little bit of hope and an added measure of calmness on that long drive to the vet ER, knowing we'd done everything we could to prepare for the inevitable. Our pup "Kenzie" is definitely a survivor. There's no question we'll keep up with the yearly booster shots.

  By  Anonymous, at 8:38 PM, July 27, 2008  

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