It’s a familiar feeling — you're hiking through a canyon on one of Utah’s many trails with a beloved pet. Out of the blue, you hear a noise that stops you and your pet in your tracks.
You see a coiled, hissing rattlesnake, making its namesake noise.
Great Basin rattlesnakes can be found across Utah, and can be dangerous, if not deadly, to you and your precious canine. It’s not all that common for rattlesnakes to bite humans, but the risk is higher for dogs.
“It's more common that dogs are bitten by rattlesnakes," said Megan Kepas, an assistant professor of biology at Utah Tech University. She explained why bites are more common for dogs.
“That's just because the way that dogs investigate things, is they smell them, they go toward something face first," she said. "So most rattlesnake bites are to dogs and cats usually on the nose or the face or neck, which is a bad place to be bitten by a rattlesnake, because that's where the airway is.”
Kepas said rattlesnakes move around the most in the spring and fall, but can still be found during the hot summer months. Rattlesnakes are typically found in more rocky areas, or places with flowing water, like canyons.
When she’s on the trail with her dog, Kepas keeps her dog on a leash if she thinks the area has rattlesnakes. She also knows which veterinarians have anti-venom, which is the main remedy for bites. If you or a pet are bitten by a rattlesnake, seek medical care immediately.
Regardless if the snake is big or small, bites can cause damage quickly. Kepas said to avoid using heat or cold, as that can speed up the tissue damage. And despite what you’ve seen in movies, don’t try to suck venom out of a wound with your mouth. And if you’re not sure the snake you see is a rattlesnake, be sure to stay away.
“Rattlesnakes don't always rattle when they see people, and so just because it's not rattling doesn't mean it's not a rattlesnake," Kepas said.
Give your local vet a call to see if they have rattlesnake anti-venom available.
