Live and Learn...A Painful But Effective Lesson

Here's a little lesson in Ranch life....

...and another reason why we shoot or run over every rattle snake we see.

This is Scooby:

Scooby is a rescue dog that was adopted from a pound in Tucson. I love Scooby because he is such a loveable, affectionate, playful, sweet dog.

He's a Ranch Dog now...

...Hayden's Ranch Dog.

He didn't bark at first. He lived in the city (maybe in an apartment) and was obviously well taken-care of, but he's a wanderer (probably how he ended up as a stray at the pound) and the 10,000-acre ranch has been a heavenly place for him. I'm not sure if he wore a shock collar or what, but it wasn't until a month after being on the ranch that he finally "found" his bark. He seemed so much happier and I was so happy FOR him.

We aren't sure how old he is but I'm guessing he's pretty young. We're talking a PUP here. I thought it was funny every time I looked out the window to see Scooby chasing lizards and turtles in the bushes. ("Cute puppy.")

Well, Scooby snooped in the wrong bush yesterday, 'cause he was bitten by a rattlesnake. For a review of our local snakes on the ranch click HERE. I talked about hemotoxins and neurotoxins and how these beasts have deadly effects on humans (especially considering how far away we are from hospitals, you can understand why everyone kills every rattlesnake they come in contact with. It's one of the reasons why ranchers carry guns every time they ride and everywhere they drive. It's the main reason why I carry a Glock on my walks).

The strange thing I've learned is that the snakes effect humans differently than animals. Those hemotoxins and neurotoxins will kill a human, but will not necessarily have the same effect on animals. One of the barn kitties is living proof of that. Instead, the animal swells up like a Goodyear Blimp and then metabolizes the poison within a few days. Every time we drive out to look at the cattle, we usually see at least one or two cows with deformed faces where a rattlesnake has surprised them while grazing.

They always look terrible.

This is what Scooby looked like this morning when I went out to check on him:

You can see the two fang marks across the bridge of his snout:

Right now, I'm counting on his youth to get him through this...but I think I'll slip him some Benadryl today anyway.

You can see why every kid living at the Ranch Headquarters is taught frequently about the dangers of snakes and how to avoid them. Every time a snake is slain it turns into another life lesson for the kids: They watch it (from a safe distance) strike while it's coiled, they watch the different ways to kill it and then are given the rattle to play with after they help us burry the head.

I've heard people tell me that after this happens to one of their ranch dogs, that dog becomes the best SNAKE DOG for the rest of their lives. Even the tiniest of baby rattlers will forever set off the barking alarm.

...so that's a bonus.

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*UPDATE: I slipped Scooby his Benadryl inside a Hot Dog and I must say he was skipping around when he saw the "treat." No really, he skips...it's the cutest thing. He was acting much more chipper than he was this morning. I do have to admit, though that it looks really strange to see his normal-looking body skipping around with a big Marshmallow Puff head. I'll keep you posted.