I've been scarce ....

[Decker]

Hey all, in case you noticed .. or not ... been scarce lately. The reason? Well, of course there is DMR that keeps me busy but not this time. Had a "home invasion" the other night, a real dangerous hombre broke into our house. I was out on our patio doing some star gazing on the 5th and my little female cocker spaniel Jade was with me. I was out for about 45 minutes and when I decided to come in Jade charged into the house and headed right to the living room by our front door. I was putting my binoculars away when suddenly she tore past me and ran out the back door and over to our bedroom sliding door that also leads into the yard. My wife yelled for me that something was wrong with her. I went back to the bedroom and Vicki told me Jade had jumped up on the bed "3 legged" and was holding her left front leg in the air. I checked it but could find nothing wrong, no visable wound, no bleeding, nothing. Then she got very lethargic and refused to get up. I knew something had happened and we got dressed and rushed her to an all night Emergency Animal Hospital. The upshot? She had been snake-bit ... in my friggen' living room. We never got home until about 1:30 AM and dropped into bed. They kept Jade there.

The called me 3 times from 1:30 AM until 7:00 AM with updates. We had to approve giving her anti-venom (that btw is about $800.00 per dose) they put her in an oxygen chamber because she was not getting enough ... we didn't know if she might pass on. My wife and I were wrecked.

The next morning I tore the house apart but could not find a damn thing. At 10:30 AM I dropped into bed for a nap, got up about Noon. Vicki told me John Brandenburg had called me about the Curiosity Landing on Mars. I called him back and decided to do a mini interview for that nights DMR. I went into my office, reached down (left side of my broadcast consol) to turn on a power strip ... and found this!



Well, when I saw this I yelled for Vicki to bring in my .22 rifle. She did and I fixed this bastards little red wagon right there.



We just brought Jade home today, and even though she is still pretty much out of it she should be okay eventually. If you live in Calf. be damned careful because these damned rattle snakes are friggen everywhere this year.

Jesus ... in my damn house?

Decker

 

[Wade]

And didn't you just get pass a mountain lion home invasion as well ?

For Jade

 

[Decker]

And didn't you just get pass a mountain lion home invasion as well ?

Yea Spooky, we call that the Joy of Southern California living! We got earthquakes, shoot outs, occasional flooding, droughts, wild fires, a bankrupt economy, you know ... all the fun shit. Its what keeps me around ... like ... what's next Dude?

Decker

 

[mike]

Very sorry to hear about Jades injury Don, My vet recommends Vit C for snake bites, but confirm this with yours before you use it.
Ive lost one to a death adder, which are really nasty, and can kill a horse very quickly.
Ive also had red bellied blacks in the yard and the house, Lets just say snakes that dont posses the stay away from humans and their houses gene, dont get to pass the trait on.

Hope Jade is feeling better

 

[Wade]

Yea Spooky, we call that the Joy of Southern California living! We got earthquakes, shoot outs, occasional flooding, droughts, wild fires, a bankrupt economy, you know ... all the fun shit. Its what keeps me around ... like ... what's next Dude?

Decker

Oh I know all about that, I live near santa monica/barrington, I was awoken twice by shakes recently and I got "tagged" once by a southern pacific rattlesnake while hiking in topanga s.p. Luckily I was wearing my hiking boots which are mid calf, I also had to tend to a young women once who was not so lucky as she was hiking and was listening to her frickin' ipod and didn't hear her warning, at least i had an excuse as my adversary was immature and hadn't had fully formed rattles yet

 

[RenaissanceLady]

Decker, I am so sorry for Jade and hope she makes a full and speedy recovery. She's lucky to have two loving parents who will do anything to help her. I'm also very sorry for the stress and sorrow this has caused.

We have bears and mountain lions galore up here but so far, no poisonous snakes. While I have no particular fear of snakes, I'd still be loathe to discover a poisonous one living in my house. I'll take my chances with the bears trying to break in. This has been the craziest year I can remember in terms of wildlife behavior.

 

[Decker]

Thank you Lady. Yes, certainly been a stressful time. We do what we can with what we have ... and as a guy once told me ... that is the name of that tune!

Decker

 

[Wade]

b.t.w. Is that jade in your avatar?

 

[mike]

Again always check with your own vet but here are some articles ive found

Chinaroad Lowchens of Australia - VITAMIN C TREATMENT FOR SNAKE BITES IN DOGS & SNAKE PROOF FENCES

Snake venom affects the nervous system which slows down until natural functions cease and death occurs .. a painful way to die .. it can cause instant death but this is most unusual .. when a dog/pet has been bitten its eyes will soon appear to look all black .. that is the pupils have relaxed and dilated but note that most snake attacks are rarely seen .. so take notice if your dog suddenly slows down and becomes lethargic or distressed .. immediately look at the eyes but even if the eyes do not show any signs .. get on with the treatment .. if by chance the fang marks are noticable .. it is usually damp around the bite .. rub the Vitamin C onto the fang marks .. even a chewed up tablet will work .. but do not waste time looking for the fang marks .. they often only show up a few days later when the hair falls away around them.



The great advantage of Vitamin C is that NO severe allergic reaction will/can occur and the variety of snake does not matter .. Vitamin C is cheap .. easy to store .. it is simple to take on a camping trip .. keep in the esky .. it can fit into a purse on a belt or into bum bag .. meanwhile it should be kept in the fridge .. Vitamin C can be carried in Summer without deteriorating .. it is best for campers/hunters to get a fresh supply each Spring just to be on the safe side.
The Shooters Vitamin C Remedy has been tried by Vets in many situations .. a dog in a tick coma .. spider bites .. dogs with Parvo .. tetanus .. toad poisoning and in cases of shock .. all with unfailing success.

Yaps Animal Refuge Rescue and Boarding Kennels Cairns Queensland Australia - Snake Bites Dog Animal Care

We used human Vit C tablets on our last red bellied black bite on the advice of the vet. Dog survived.

My vet swears by it, but ive also found references online where some are skeptical that it works.
It wont do any harm though, and is worth thinking about for any dog owner in a snake prone area.

But in my opinion its worth asking your vet about it at the next checkup and writing down the recommended dose and keeping some handy

 

[Decker]

b.t.w. Is that jade in your avatar?

No Spooky, that is not Jade. Here is a photo (I took it this AM with my Cell Phone) of her right after I gave her the medications. She looks a little "drawn out" but if I had been snake bit, so would I!

Decker

 

[Decker]

Again always check with your own vet but here are some articles ive found

We used human Vit C tablets on our last red bellied black bite on the advice of the vet. Dog survived.

My vet swears by it, but ive also found references online where some are skeptical that it works.
It wont do any harm though, and is worth thinking about for any dog owner in a snake prone area.

But in my opinion its worth asking your vet about it at the next checkup and writing down the recommended dose and keeping some handy

Thanks Mike. We are taking her to our regular Vet so he can check on her wound. I will most certainly ask him about Vit. C. Once again, thank you!

Decker

 

[pixelsmith]

glad Jade is doing better!

as a kid i used to catch rattlesnakes by hand and sell them for 5 bucks a piece, 50 cents for fox snakes and 25 cents a pound for frogs. caught at least 50 rattlers and never got bit. i would distract them with one hand and grab with the other.... omg i still cant believe i did it... but i needed beer and cigarette money!

 

[trainedobserver]

glad Jade is doing better!

as a kid i used to catch rattlesnakes by hand and sell them for 5 bucks a piece, 50 cents for fox snakes and 25 cents a pound for frogs. caught at least 50 rattlers and never got bit. i would distract them with one hand and grab with the other.... omg i still cant believe i did it... but i needed beer and cigarette money!

It is good to have a skill like that.

 

[boomerang]

Don, Glad to hear Jade will be okay. Give her a bonus sirloin for this one! I once shot a rattler coiled up and cornered on the back porch. It was apparently headed for my cluttered garage when the dogs found it first.

That's one heckuva' scary story.

 

[Goggs Mackay]

Holy shit Don? But I know how LA can be, I was there a while in '93 staying with relatives and my uncles dog killed a rattler out by the pool (people in the UK think being able to say that is the height of showing off!) and I was mesmerised with the fact you could pick the tail up and shake it to rattle!

Glad to hear the family are fine tho. Shit what a scare that would give you. I presume there are snakes worse than rattlers in SoCal too?

 

[Goggs Mackay]

It is good to have a skill like that.

Man, Pixel I can be so dumb sometimes. I was thinking to myself reading that post 'why would anyone buy dead snakes from you?'
-then it hit me people were paying you to get rid of them! MAJOR DOH!

 

[Goggs Mackay]

Very sorry to hear about Jades injury Don, My vet recommends Vit C for snake bites, but confirm this with yours before you use it.
Ive lost one to a death adder, which are really nasty, and can kill a horse very quickly.
Ive also had red bellied blacks in the yard and the house, Lets just say snakes that dont posses the stay away from humans and their houses gene, dont get to pass the trait on.

Hope Jade is feeling better

The No1 reason for Poms not to emigrate down under - snake city!

 

[Decker]

Holy shit Don? But I know how LA can be, I was there a while in '93 staying with relatives and my uncles dog killed a rattler out by the pool (people in the UK think being able to say that is the height of showing off!) and I was mesmerised with the fact you could pick the tail up and shake it to rattle!

Glad to hear the family are fine tho. Shit what a scare that would give you. I presume there are snakes worse than rattlers in SoCal too?

No, those desert rattlers are about as bad as it gets ... snake-wise. Course here in the "high desert" we got all kinds of delights. Coyotes (they are Hell on small dogs and all kinds of cats) cougers, black bears, scorpions, all kinds of really nasty spiders, and as far as the two legged variety of nasty critters ... Hispanic and Black Gang Bangers, all kinds of armed robbers, smack and meth freaks, etc. etc. etc. I guess I could go on ... but it suddenly hit me as I was typing this ... What in Hell am I still doing here?

Decker

 

[Goggs Mackay]

Cos despite all that, Southern Cali is beautiful and there is lots to do and see! (Sequoi Nat Park being my number 1).

 

[Decker]

Well, Mom just got back from the Vet's with Jade's follow up exam. He said she is doing fine but her wound needs to be wrapped and changed daily to draw out the toxins and to keep her from licking and aggravating it. She has really proved to be a little trooper. Also, after Jade heals up we are getting Lil' Joey and her anti-snakebite vaccine shots.



Decker