Watch Your Step: It's Snake Season

California Poison Control System reminds Brentwood residents that rattlesnakes are waking up from hibernation, and even baby snakes possess dangerous venom as soon as they hatch. A rattlesnake bite can produce painful swelling, bruising, tissue destruction and bleeding problems. It can even be fatal in rare cases. Most bites occur between the months of April and October.

Planning on hiking in Topanga or Temescal Canyons? Click here before you go to hear the sound a rattlesnake makes.

Dr. Cyrus Rangan, assistant medical director for the CPCS says the odds of being bitten by a rattlesnake are slim compared to other environmental injuries (about 300 cases per year in California), but by following some precautions outdoors, Brentwood peeps can minimize the chance of being bitten. He says that children are naturally curious, and may look into open pipes and loose brush or under rocks and bushes, where snakes may sometimes lie quietly. Children need to be carefully supervised outside, especially in wooded and desert areas where snakes tend to live. Remember, rattlesnakes do not always make a rattling sound, so you may be standing next to a rattlesnake and not even know it.

Some snake bite prevention tips include:

• Wear boots and long pants when hiking.
• Stay on trails when hiking, away from underbrush and tall weeds.
• Do not touch or disturb a snake, even if it appears dead.
• Carefully inspect logs or rocks before sitting on them.
• Never hike alone in remote areas. Always have someone with you who can assist in an emergency.
• Teach children to respect snakes and to leave them alone.

The symptoms of a rattlesnake bite may include extreme pain and swelling at the location of the bite, excessive bleeding, nausea, swelling in the mouth and throat that makes it difficult to breathe, lightheadedness, drooling and even collapse and shock in rare cases. If you are bitten by a rattlesnake, immediate medical attention is critical. Severe, or even life-threatening symptoms may occur in any patient within minutes after the bite or in other cases may begin after couple hours. In either event, your best bet is to get to a hospital as soon as you can. The doctor says that the following steps are important for any rattlesnake bite:  

• Get immediate medical attention.
• Do not apply ice, do not use a tourniquet or constricting band, do not try to suck out the venom and do not use any device to cut or slice the bite site.
• Keep calm and keep the affected extremity elevated during transport to a medical facility.

Our local veterinarians now carry rattlesnake anti-venom and rattlesnake vaccines for dogs and other pets that are bitten. Contact your veterinarian for more information.

You can learn more about a variety of poison issues by following CPCS on Facebook and on Twitter. Sign up for weekly safety text messages to your cell phone by texting TIPS to 69866and download a free iPhone app, Choose Your Poison. CPCS is dedicated to providing residents with the most up-to-date information and 24-hour help in case of poisoning. In case of an accidental poisoning, consumers should immediately call 800-222-1222.