Actually, I don't think we're any snakier than we've been in the past fifteen years that we've lived here, but boy howdy, am I twitchy. The dogs? They're great. Rufus and Sparky's muzzles are back to normal with the swelling gone and they seem to be feeling fine. The pigs ears that they all just enjoyed might have something to do with their sunny dispositions or it might be that it's because they're dogs and dogs are happy as a default setting, but me? I sit here at my computer desk and gaze out the window into our woodsy backyard and all I see are imaginary snakes under every bush, in every pile of leaves, and every clump of grass.
Today is garbage pick up day and when I wheeled the big, green monster to the end of the drive last night around 9:30 p.m., I literally stomped my way down the driveway. Slither off, you evil snakes! I dreamed about snakes in the house last night.
I think I need counseling. Or maybe we should move to Ireland. ;p
St. Patrick, seen here driving the snakes from Ireland, is my kinda saint.
Yes, I know that snakes have their place in the grand scheme of things and the circle of life and yadacakes. Doesn't mean I have to like them, however. I have a thick stick about a foot long with all the bark off that I leave propped up against the hay shed door. Ever since the Great Black Racer Incident of Aught Eight (tm Black Hole Productions) when I opened the shed door and said black racer slithered under a pallet not a foot from the door, causing me to do the standing leap backward and hit the world's record for such barnyard events (fifteen feet. Really. I swear.), I use my trusty snake stick to bang on the shed door to alert the snakes that might be hanging out with all that hay to kindly slither on away so I don't have to see them when I open the door. What happened this afternoon? After banging a few times and then opening the door, a lizard the size of a Chihuahua skittered off into the back corner behind the hay. Not a snake, but something long and skittery and I'm already on my last nerve. Did this lizard not get the memo? NO REPTILES IN VIEW!!! Gah! Bring on the daddy long legs, the brown recluses, and the black widows. I have respect for all of them but I am not scared of them. I am quite brave and fearless when it comes to arachnids and really, all bugs. But snakes? Just no.
I've talked with my vet and the absence of anti-venom is quite common because there is conflicting thought whether or not it will work effectively given that the venom of a timber rattler from up around Augusta has different evil properties than the timber rattlers around the Black Hole. Anti-venom is expensive and apparently has a fairly short shelf life. Our good luck in getting a baby rattler who either didn't know how to deliver the venom, or did know but was saving it for something he really wanted to kill, such as a mouse, is luck of the winning lottery ticket kind. The vet treated three dogs last year who were all bitten by the same timber rattler, but an adult who delivered the venom. None of the dogs survived.
The vet recommends the rattlesnake vaccine. He's given it to his dogs and I've got my four signed up for it. Go to this website to learn more and don't worry, there is not a picture of a snake on the page:http://www.redrockbiologics.com/
My vet believes that this vaccine also provides protection for several types of rattlesnake bites and also copperhead bites, but not cottonmouth. We're waiting a week to give Astro time to recover from his first heartworm treatment today, Sparky and Rufus to fully get over the rattlesnake bite, and Kudzu? Well, he goes back for his bloodwork check up to make sure that the lymphoma hasn't returned in two weeks. All four dogs will go and get the vaccine.
In the meantime, I'll be the woman stomping around my yard singing the Go Away Snake Song at the top of my lungs.
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