Understanding Your Pet’s Risk and the Rattlesnake Vaccination
California living is hard to beat, but one thing that many of us could live without is the worry of rattlesnakes. If you have lived here very long, you have probably learned a little bit about rattlesnake safety and how to peacefully cohabitate with the reptiles in the landscape.
Every year, though, our staff at Rocklin Ranch Veterinary Hospital treats pets who have been envenomated by rattlesnakes. Understanding your pet’s risks is helpful to determine how to better protect them from having this happen and to determine whether rattlesnake vaccination is appropriate for your pet.
A Calculated Risk
Snakes are cold-blooded critters, which means that they are most active in the warmer, dry months. Here in Northern California, we are in snake season. Beginning in April and extending into October, we consider this part of the year to be high risk for snake exposure. Continue…