But this is already an unusual year. There have been many snake sightings and vet hospitals are reporting dogs with snake bites. And summer hasn't even started to heat things up yet. So let's talk about how you can protect your pooch from a potentially deadly rattlesnake bite.

First, remember that rattlers are not naturally aggressive towards people or animals. But when they're startled, they will bite. So it helps to keep your dog on a leash when you hike in the hills or other remote area. If a snake hears someone coming, it will usually make a quick escape from that area.

But you don't have to hike in the hills to be in potential danger. More and more, we hear of snake encounters near someone's rural home, right in their back yard. Dogs living in these areas need more protection. And they can get that protection through a simple vaccine.

You might be surprised to hear that there's a vaccine to help protect dogs from the deadly effect of rattlesnake venom. We've had this vaccine for a while, but many veterinarians were a bit skeptical when it first hit the market. However, it appears that this vaccine significantly lessens the toxic effect of a rattlesnake bite. And many dog owners are making sure their canine companion is vaccinated annually.

If you live in the city and your dog is never exposed to snakes, this vaccine isn't for him. Only canines in potential danger need this protection.

Initially, a dog is given two injections spaced four weeks apart. Then all that's needed is an annual booster for best protection. So if your dog is ever at risk for a snake bite, ask your vet to give him proper protection with this vaccine.

Q:

Our 6-year-old terrier, Footsy, likes to catch gophers. Sometimes she will eat them, but sometimes she just brings them to us to see our reaction. We share a yard with a person who told us last night that he had been putting gopher bait (poison) deep in the ground where Footsy can't get to it. Still, we wonder whether or not she could get any of this poison if she catches a gopher that just ate some. Is she safe?

A:

As a general rule, let's just say that it's never safe to put any of these poisons out where a pet can get to them. If your neighbor puts only a teaspoon of bait into the gopher's horizontal tunnel (using PVC pipe or some other way to get the granules deep in the ground), the danger to Footsy is minimal. By the time she digs up the area to get the gopher, she will have scattered the poison in fifty different directions and can't get any significant amount of it.

But let's say she finds a gopher that recently dined on the poison. If she were to devour that rodent, there probably wouldn't be enough poison to make her ill. The amount a gopher eats is pretty small. But that word "probably" worries me a lot. I believe that you can't be too careful with any of these toxic substances. So as far as I'm concerned, either your neighbor stops putting this poison out in your yard or Footsy stays away from that area. Don't take any chances.

Q:

My indoor neutered male cat (Dakota) carries his favorite toy around in his mouth and howls pretty loud. He carries the toy by the scruff and will carefully place it in various strategic places. He also hangs his head real low and kind of glares at those in his presence. Can male cats have female tendencies? I know nothing of his previous life. When my other cat (Sylvester/a few months old at the time) came to my home after his mom was hit by a car, Dakota let him knead and suckle on his belly like a kitten. He'd even lay on his side like a momma cat. Does he need help?

A:

This behavior isn't all that unusual in a neutered-male kitty. Dakota's activity reinforces his place in the family line. He feels dominant over the stuffed animal and even Sylvester the kitten. And that's fine as long as Sylvester the grownup adult cat doesn't try to challenge him. I'm guessing that they play together at least a little, but it would be interesting to watch their behavior at feeding time. Sylvester probably lets Dakota go to the food bowl first. And so as long as there's peace in the family, you should let Dakota (with his mothering tendencies) live out his fantasy. And as long as he doesn't try to be dominant over anyone in your family, his behavior is harmless.

Pete Keesling Pete Keesling is a veterinarian at San Martin Veterinary Hospital. He writes a bi-weekly column for South Valley Newspapers and hosts a radio talk show, Dr. Pete’s Petpourri, Sundays at 1 p.m. and Friday mornings at 7:10 on KSCO 1080 AM. If you have questions about pet care, e-mail them to smvet3@yahoo.com.