How to Protect Your Dog from Snake Bites?

Dogs are excellent for people who like to keep pets that are active and alert. If you prefer a company that likes to keep you on your toes to a certain extent then dogs might be the absolute best pet for you. They require attention and affection from you at times and it will be your responsibility to give it to them. If you ignore them for long periods, sooner or later they will get disheartened and depressed which is not going to be good for your dog’s health in any way.

When you do decide to start owning a dog and you decide to take responsibility for the dog, there are some measures that you have to take to make sure that you are taking care of your dog to the full extent. You have to be able to protect your dog to the best of your abilities because without that, you are putting your dog in harm’s way. Of course, your dog will follow its basic animal instincts but once you bring it inside your home and begin to train it, the dog will begin to subside its basic animal instincts.

In a situation like this where the dog has become tamer and less likely to attack, it will also become less likely to be able to protect itself from any harm that might come it’s way from natural sources. The dog will not be able to defend itself, mainly because the dog has been tamed and kind of forced to ignore its basic animal instincts, when you put a dog in a bubble, you can not expect it to act the same way it would act if the dog lived outside or in the actual wild.

The best way to take care of your dog is to take extra measures, you will have to start doing your research and searching for ways in which you think that the dog might be harmed. There are many ways outside of simply just giving it foods like chocolate, which are not good for its health. For example, getting injured, if the dog is not used to the idea of the great outdoors, chances are that once it is left to its own devices it will not be able to do things as well, it might get hurt easily by the wood or pointed objects that are lying on the ground.

Another way in which the dog can easily get harmed is by being poisoned. Dogs can be poisoned especially if they are tamed. Any wild animal or creature may be able to bite it and the dog might not be able to do much about it to fix it. Snakes are poisonous animals that may easily be able to sneak up on you and bite you. If you are going into a secluded area with your dog, there are some precautions that you should follow to keep your dog safe.

Vaccinations for protecting your dog

Vaccinations are a very good way to protect your dog. Vaccinations are something that you should usually get for your dog once you bring them home. There are many reasons for that, one of the reasons being getting poisoned. If you get your dog vaccinated, on the off chance that it does get bitten, the dog will be able to fight off the snake venom a lot better. There are specific vaccines out there that are for dogs in the situation that you live in an area with snakes and such. It will help protect your dog.

Keep your dog on a leash

When you do take your dog out for a walk, it is always better to keep it on a leash. If you let the dog roam around too much, your dog will likely wander off into a snake den. Even if your dog is vaccinated, it is just better to be safe than sorry. If you do not let it go in the first place, it will not get bitten and in turn, you will not have to make any sort of remedial situation for the dog to get better.

Short Leash works more effectively

When you do decide to take your dog, keep it on a leash at all times. However, the type of leash also matters a lot to a certain extent. Many dog owners make the mistake of getting leashes for their dogs that are too long. The idea in their mind most probably is that it will allow their dog to have a certain level of freedom. What you have to understand is that it comes with its own set of consequences, it will become much more difficult to be able to control your dog if you get a leash that is too long.

Always stay on the trail

There is a specific reason for which people are told to stay on the trail when they are going out for a walk for whatever reason. It is understandable to want to explore new areas but what you do not understand is the consequences that might have, there must be some reason that certain areas are restricted for people and they are not allowed to venture off with their dogs. If you go into areas that are not exactly certified or viable to go into, you are putting your dog at risk, because there are higher chances that your dog might get bit. This mostly happens if you live in desert areas.

Big Rocks and Dense Grass

One of the most likely hiding spots for snakes is in open sight, but where they stay relatively camouflaged. Snakes prefer residing near large rocks or grass which is quite thick. This is because this helps stay hidden and they will not be provoked. This also helps them to pray much more cunningly on their victims. If you go into areas where the grass is too thick, chances are that your dog will get bitten by a nearby snake especially if you accidentally step on it. You may be able to protect yourself but your dog will not.

Yard –  Keep the grass trimmed

Yards are very important to dogs for many reasons. For starters, yards are where dogs are most likely to go when they want to do their business. They might also want to play in your yard or go there for fresh air and such. What you need to do is get an exterminator or animal control and make sure that your yard has no snakes. If you keep your grass short and trimmed, chances are that snakes will not want to reside in your yard anyway.

Training your dog

Training in this matter is very important. Your dog gets quite timid when it begins to live with you. It may not be able to attack as well. your responsibility in a situation like this is to train and condition your dog to understand to stay away from snakes. You may be able to use fake snakes and then divert their attention with treats. The dog will begin to find the idea of treats much more appealing than going to hunt for snakes and chase them.

Look out for Rattlesnakes

Rattlesnakes are the easiest to have an alert of. It is quite literally in the name that they are rattlesnakes and they make a certain noise. Your responsibility is to not venture off or explore areas that may be ridden with rattlesnakes. They can be extremely poisonous and they can prove to be fatal for your dog. If you want to keep your dog protected and with you for a long period, it is always better to avoid any such situations. Prevention is better than cure and you will not need that cure if you can keep your dog away.

Dead Snakes could be just as dangerous as a living snake

Many dog owners think that it is okay to allow your dog to play with snakes that are dead because they ultimately believe that there may be no venom left within them, but that is far from the truth. If your dog does happen to get too excited and it bites into the snake’s body then it will be no different than if the snake itself had bitten the dog. The dog will pass off the snake’s venom into its system and because of the lack of any sort of alert, this may prove to be the most fatal situation for the dog.

Conclusion

Dogs are playful and they also tend to be very curious. This can get annoying for owners but if you use the right methods, you will be able to protect your dog from going into harm’s way. The dog will need to be trained the right way to know that snakes are harmful to them. If the dog does get bitten by a snake or it gets harmed by a snake by biting into it, it is always better to take it to the vet right at that moment. This will help reduce the effect of the venom because the vet might be able to take care of it much quicker.

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