Deer Danger

Deer are everywhere in Lake County, especially in the densely populated Hidden Valley Lake, where we see them daily.  They may seem unassuming and even friendly, but beware! They are a very real danger to us and especially our animals. We have seen three cases of dogs being attacked and gored by bucks and does in the past three weeks.  Luckily, two of them could be treated.  Unfortunately, one dog did not survive.

They will attack with no warning or cause.  All three of these dogs did not attack the deer, but actually turned away from them.  All three came in with either a penetrative chest wound, abdominal wound, or both.  All of these injuries are life-threatening, require extensive treatment, and are costly.

Coyotes are the other wildlife that are very dangerous. They actually come onto properties and steal dogs and cats away!

In order to prevent injury from deer and other wildlife, keep your pet indoors or in an enclosed area outside.  And when out of an enclosed area, make sure to keep the dog on a leash and stay away from deer if you see them.  Also, do NOT feed deer, which will keep them coming back to your property. 

Dr. Brie Duff
Middletown Animal Hospital

Raising a Well Mannered Mutt with Sallie Palmer

Rattlesnakes and Dogs

Every year when the weather warms up, I remind people to beware of Rattlesnakes. Walking and hiking with dogs or even having a dog in his own yard is a likely way to encounter a rattlesnake. The reaction I usually get from people is eeewww followed by a look of dread. Rattlesnakes are dangerous and can kill your dog in an ugly way. Protecting your dog from them isn’t always easy.

Most dogs are curious creatures. They are also predators. They like to chase critters. When a dog sees or smells a snake, they usually want to investigate. The first thing they do is go up and sniff the reptile. This is why most snake bites are to the face and front legs of the dog. Not all dogs are so bold as to sniff a reptile but, a good indicator or test to see if your dog has that potential is to see how he is with lizards. If you have a dog that chases lizards, he will most likely go after a snake.

So, what can you do to help protect your dog? The obvious answer is to not go in areas that are known to have snakes. This isn’t always practical and in some areas, they are everywhere. I have them living in my front yard. When I walk my dogs, I make a point of walking on the road or on very wide paths so I can be on the look out for danger.

You could go to a ‘Rattlesnake clinic’ however I have not found these to be very effective. I use to recommend them to clients. They were costly ranging from $25.00 to $100.00 for 15-30 minutes of training. Several clients who took their dogs to the trainings disappointedly reported that their dogs were bitten by Rattlesnakes within months after the clinics. It cost them over $1000.00 for veterinarian treatment. One client reported that her dog was playing with a snake the very next day after the Rattlesnake clinic and yet another reported that a rattlesnake was on the deck while her dog was only a few feet away in his dog bed.

How do the clinics work? An electronic collar is placed on the dog. Usually a stranger takes your dog from you and walks him to an area where a Rattlesnake has been rendered harmless. When the dog focuses in on the snake, the dog is given a high level shock. Then the dog is introduced to another snake and the procedure is repeated. This is great in theory but usually the dog learns to avoid snakes in that particular area of the training and doesn’t necessarily transfer the training to his own familiar environment and with his owner.

This is what I recommend and do with my own dog. I purchased a DogTra IQ electronic collar for $180.00 ( the cost of approximately two Rattlesnake clinic trainings). I place it on my dog before I go for a walk. I wait to see if my dog focuses on a lizard or any other reptile. It does not have to be a rattlesnake. I will also use dead snakes if I come across them. If the dog shows ANY interest at all in the reptile, I wait until he has focused his attention on it. I will give him a STRONG stimulation from the collar. With some dogs, you may be able to use the vibrate mode on the collar. I want my dog to move away quickly from the reptile. I will repeat this daily until I see the dog actively avoiding and staying away from all reptiles.

This training will also work on dogs that chase after squirrels, chickens, cats, etc. The key to the training is to wait for the dog to be FOCUSED on the animal. When they receive the STRONG stimulation from the collar while focused, the dog thinks the animal caused the stimulation, not you.

I know this isn’t a pleasant form of training. I don’t look forward to this at all. When I consider the possible alternative of my dog suffering from a potential lethal snake bite, I would rather my dog have the momentary discomfort of a shock than a life threatening medical emergency.

I also recommend that you discuss with your veterinarian whether or not a Rattlesnake vaccination would be appropriate for your dog.

I hope you have a safe summer with your dog.