Snake Training

Ventana Animal Hospital stocks antivenin for use in the event of snake bite. We always have at least two vials in the refrigerator. During the summer we will mix up and give this extremely expensive life saving medication to more dogs (and occasionally cats) than we care to.

Honestly, we would like to never use antivenin again. Snake bites in pets (especially dogs) are common in the Tucson. Snakes remain active throughout the year, though spring, summer and fall have the highest incidence of snake strikes. Whether you are hiking Sabino Canyon, sitting on your back porch or bird hunting in Patagonia, snakes are everywhere, and they are active far into the fall.

Rattlesnake venom does several things, the first is that it causes extreme pain followed by swelling to the bite location. The venom then causes changes in the blood which encourages bleeding (this is why we do blood work on snake bite victims). Lastly the venom causes local tissue death called necrosis. The only thing that can counteract the envenomation process is swiftly getting to a veterinarian and receiving antivenin, antibiotics, fluid therapy and pain medication. Depending on the snake species (mojaves are exceptionally venomous), strike location, amount of venom injected by the snake and other factors, use of antivenin is often (but not always) able to save pets' lives.

All dogs are at risk of snake bite. Snakes are not respectful of boundaries and through climbing trees, crawling through drain holes and under gates and even following rodent excavations they can find themselves in even the most impenetrable yard.

Please help us here at Ventana Animal Hospital to never ever see another snake bite again. Get your dogs snake trained. This is the easiest most cost effective method to ensure that your dogs do not engage the snakes that they do encounter.

Snake training (like any training) is not 100% effective. Terriers and bird dogs seem to suffer the most when it comes to failing to heed the warnings issued through snake training. Because of this, most people who do snake training will let you periodically 'test' your dogs to ensure that they 'got' the lesson. In most cases they will let you do this at little to no cost.

Truly, short of packing up and moving to a snake free island, snake training is the most effective cost efficient way to ensure that you never ask us to open up one of those vials of antivenin.

We here at Ventana Animal Hospital believe so strongly in the effectiveness of snake training that we have partnered with Paul Blaushild of Central Pet to provide our customers an exclusive opportunity to save money on this life saving training. Bring any receipt from Ventana Animal Hospital to Paul at Central Pet, and they will give you $5 off snake avoidance training.

Even with swift life saving care, every year we lose at least one pet to snake bite. Please, we don't want it to be your pet. Schedule a trip to Central Pet (or any trainer who can train your pet to avoid snakes) now.