Vaccine, aversion training make encounters safer By Ashley Ahearn Dr. Michael Marrone still remembers the little terrier mix that was bitten on the tongue by a rattlesnake. The dog’s tongue turned black and started to swell, causing it to choke and begin to suffocate. Fortunately, the owner saw the bite happen and rushed the dog […]
Rattlesnake
Rattlesnake encounters bring a buzz to the valley
The northern Pacific rattlesnake, Crotalis oreganus, has been turning up in the Methow Valley this summer in numbers sufficient to give some outdoor enthusiasts and their animal companions a new and unnerving definition of “up close and personal.”
Wolves, moose, wolverines and the occasional bear all do their part to infuse the valley with a quality of remote ruggedness, but no …
Community briefs: June 18, 2014
This week: Primitive skills for kids starts June 23, Spaghetti feed to benefit Wagner pool happens June 28, also on June 28 there’s a Snake awareness for dogs class and Get a fresh start on June 20.
Dogs get shock from rattlesnake exposure
Bailey, a German shorthair pointer, gets a first whiff of Washington’s only poisonous pit viper, a Northern Pacific rattlesnake. A shock administered moments later conditioned Bailey to give these reptiles a wide berth when encountered in the field. Photo by Mike Maltais BY MIKE MALTAIS Some 76 owners of pet and sporting dogs braved […]
