Rattlesnake Vaccine

I saw a vet up the road from my shop advertising "Rattlesnake vaccine" and went "Hur??"
Looking online, this is what I found.
http://placervillevet.com/rattlesnake_vaccine.htm

How many people had heard of this?
Facinating.
Wolfy

ive actually heard of this before but ive heard that exposing yourself to the venom just makes you more irritable to it.:confuzd:

Actually I believe it said that exposing yourself to the ANTI-venom is bad. Getting repeated exposure to the venom will sometimes build up a immunity. I assume that getting the vaccine is near the same.
Just guessing and talking from what vets have said to me.
WOlfy

i know getting treated by antivenom will make you more irritable but ive also heard repeated exposure to the actual venom dos also. again, i dont know. just what ive heard.

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Originally Posted by mr~python

i know getting treated by antivenom will make you more irritable but ive also heard repeated exposure to the actual venom dos also. again, i dont know. just what ive heard.

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Seems kind of like maybe bee stings? That is something many people build up a serious allergic reaction to...the more often they are exposed to it, the more serious it becomes. Same thing with fire ants, for some people. I don't know if venom could be treated like a virus or bacteria that your body can build up an immunity to if carefully exposed. Sounds like "snake oil" to me!

Actually the vaccine works wonderfully if you give it and then booster it accordingly. We've had many people use it on their cattle dogs and other working dogs, and whereas usually if a dog gets bit, you have to use a good number of vials of antivenin to get an immune response. If the dog has the vaccine however, sometimes they don't even have to get the antivenin because their body has already taken care of the threat. They may need supportive care to help reduce inflammation or fluids to help with hydration if they can't drink/eat, but other than that, the vaccine works great. Some dogs do require one vial of antivenin just as a precautionary.

So no, it's not just "snake oil", :) This stuff works and you should seriously consider it if you have any rattlesnakes in your area.

Interesting Disscussion........thought of it when I read this on Live Science tonight

"Mast cells release a wide range of biological compounds that promote inflammation and other changes to tissue when triggered by parasites, bacteria or foreign substances such as venom. In some people, they can be activated by irritants such as pollen, causing allergic reactions.

Scientists previously thought that mast cell activation in response to chemicals in venom made the bites and stings of snakes and insects worse. But the new study, detailed in the July 28 issue of the journal Science, finds that a protein, called carboxypeptidase A and released by mast cells, actually helps break down venom."


The full link is here.....http://www.livescience.com/animalwor...m_protect.html

yeah repeated exposure to venom will build up immunities thats how antivenom is produced. venom is injected into horses and mules until antibodies build up then blood is extracted and seperated from the antibodies. thus producing antivenom

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Originally Posted by tsdsbd

yeah repeated exposure to venom will build up immunities thats how antivenom is produced. venom is injected into horses and mules until antibodies build up then blood is extracted and seperated from the antibodies. thus producing antivenom

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Yes, but antivenin isn't a vaccine. That's why I was surprised to see it.