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Kamloops  

Rattlers emerge early

Rattlesnakes are making an earlier than usual appearance in the Thompson-Okanagan this spring.

WildSafe B.C. spokesperson Frank Ritcey, captures some of the season's first sightings of the venomous snake, April 18 near Kamloops.

He hopes his video and message will work as warning for dog owners and outdoor enthusiasts to stay safe during rattlesnake season, which has arrived about a one month earlier that usual.

“The big thing is that if people have dogs running off-leash, the dogs run a pretty good risk of getting bit,” explains Ritcey, who says in recent years a few dogs have died after being bit by a rattlesnake in the Kamloops area.

“For myself, I quit letting my dog run off-leash this time of year. I am more careful about where I walk my dog.”

Rattlesnake season typically lasts from spring until fall, when temperatures cool off.

“It has got cold again, though, and the snakes will be heading back into their dens,” says Ritcey. “This is what happens this time of year. The first few days of good hot weather, and the snakes start to come out, but they stay close to the den so if it does turn nasty again they can just go back and wait it out.”

He has a few tips if you are bitten. Most importantly, get to a hospital right away.

“Do nothing else, don't put a tourniquet on, don't cut open by the wound or suck it out, don't put ice on it – all of those things just make it worse. Just get yourself to hospital. If you are with a friend, have that person drive you as you may begin to feel the effects of the bite right away."

He advises to call ahead and let the hospital know you are coming, as some smaller hospitals don't have anti-venom at the ready.

He also says you'll want to remove any jewelry and loosen tight clothing as the area around the bite will quickly swell.

If your furry friend is bitten, the situation is a little more complicated, as the anti-venom for animals is very expensive, and not every veterinary clinic carries it. The best bet is to call your vet immediately, and follow their specific instructions.

“The smaller the animal, the more likely it is it will succumb to a bite,” says Ritcey.

While many dogs instinctively know snakes are bad news, some will be aggressive, prompting a bite, or startling the snake accidentally.



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