Vaccination for rattlesnake bite:

Rattlesnake vaccine is a relatively new product recently approved for use throughout the Unites States. 

Ranchers and veterinarians have long known that after having been repeatedly bitten, dogs become resistant to rattlesnake bites. Vaccination works the same way – it will make your dog resistant but not immune. A vaccinated dog is much less likely to suffer permanent injury or die from rattlesnake bite, but it is still possible.

The vaccine is usually administered as two injections the first year, with a booster each year after that.

Reasons not to vaccinate:

Although rattlesnake bites make dogs very ill and can do serious damage, even untreated bites are seldom fatal and generally cause no permanent damage. 

Rattlesnake bites don’t happen very often.

Immunization of any kind can cause an allergic reaction. Most vaccine reactions are mild and easily treatable. Rarely, they can be severe or fatal.  Local veterinarians who use and recommend it report no problems. The clinician we spoke with at the U. C. Davis veterinary clinic said they don’t use it and don’t recommend it.

Reasons to do it anyway:

If your dog has a high risk of being bitten. Certain neighborhoods have a lot of rattlesnakes. If you live where there are lots of snakes or if you take your dog hiking in the mountains and don’t use a leash, then vaccination is probably a good idea.  

If your dog has already been treated with rattlesnake antivenin. Rattlesnake antivenin is made from the blood serum of hyper immunized horses. A single dose can make dogs so sensitive to horse serum that a subsequent dose of antivenin is rapidly fatal. There are a few exceptions, but generally speaking, dogs that have been treated once with antivenin should never be treated with it again. The risk from a second dose nearly always exceeds the risk from the rattlesnake bite. Immunizing your dog eliminates the risk from antivenin by eliminating the need for antivenin.