How to Keep Your Dog Safe from Snakes

While there are snake vaccinations in Saint Francisville, LA available, choosing to get the vaccine for your dog doesn’t mean you can let your guard down. The vaccination only reduces the symptoms of a snakebite. Therefore, you must always be on the lookout for slithering creatures—especially if you are in an area where snakes are common. When it comes to bites being fatal, a snakebite to a dog’s chest usually poses the highest risk.

Beware of snakes!

They can be in backyards, on trails or hiding in tall grass or rock piles. They may bite your curious pooch in self-defense, which is likely to cause pain, and may even lead to death. Here are some tips to help you keep your dog safe from snakes:

• Groom your lawn: Keep your grass short, because tall grass is an ideal place for snakes to hunker down and hide. Shorter grass deters snakes, and if they do slither across your lawn, low grass makes them easier to see. Additionally, if you find holes in your yard that look like snake tunnels, take the time to fill them in with dirt or sod. Really pack in the added soil to discourage snakes from getting cozy.
• Get a snake vaccination: If you live in or regularly visit an area known to have snakes consider getting your dog vaccinated. What snake vaccinations in Saint Francisville, LA do is reduce the symptoms associated with a bite. The vaccine does not protect your dog from getting bitten, nor does it make them immune to snake venom.
• Inspect around your property: If you live in a high-risk area for snakes and you have dogs, be sure to inspect all exterior-to-interior openings on your house, including air vents, exhaust systems, dryer vents, heating and cooling units and holes in the siding or foundation. These entry points can be sealed off using a protective material like metal mesh.
• Keep your pup on a leash: You might see snakes or signs of snakes in your yard or on a trail. If you do, don’t let your dog roam on their own. Whether it’s in your backyard or out on a hiking trail, keep them on a short leash for their safety. Out hiking? Stick to the designated path.
• Be aware of woodpiles and rock piles: Snakes are known to take up residence in warm woodpiles and rock piles. Snakes use these areas for hunting small creatures, hiding and resting.
• Get to a vet or emergency animal clinic: Whether or not your dog has received the vaccine that decreases the effects of a snakebite, you must get them to a veterinarian or an emergency animal clinic as soon as possible. Here at St. Francisville Animal Hospital, we carry snake anti-venom. Contact us immediately to get your dog the treatment he or she needs.

To learn more about snake vaccinations in Saint Francisville, LA, don’t hesitate to contact the helpful team at St. Francisville Animal Hospital. Call us anytime with questions or to schedule an appointment for your pet!

Categorised in: Dog Health