Question posed to Dr. Jeff Nichol, a vet who writes a regular column for the Albuquerque Journal:

Q: Last year my friend's dog got snake-bit. I have a new puppy and we plan to hike a lot and it's already getting warm. What happens if we find a snake? What should I do if my puppy gets bit?

A. This is a subject that strikes fear into the hearts of most of us. The type of snakes you might run into has everything to do with the part of the country where you plan to hike. Coral snakes, like those found in the eastern and southern portions of the United States, are shy and mostly active at night so they are seldom a problem. Rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouth water moccasins, on the other hand, are known to be more aggressive.

So which pets are at risk? Most injuries result from a curious dog playing aggressively with a snake. Bites are usually found on the head. The amount of venom injected into the pet is influenced by the size of the snake and just how mad he's gotten. But the activity of the pet after the bite is an even greater factor in recovery.

Remember the old cowboy movies when they would suck out the venom to save the patient? We have since realized that venom absorbs much too fast for this to help. More to the point, allowing the pet to be active after a bite will cause the venom to be carried to other areas of the body faster and increase the risk. So the best first aid is to control activity and to get the pet to a veterinary hospital as quickly as possible. Knowing what type of snake caused the bite is important because the antidote, called antivenin, is specific to the venom. In New Mexico, most snake bites result from pit vipers like rattlesnakes. In addition to antivenin, the doctor will also treat a snake bitten pet with intravenous fluids, antibiotics and pain management. Other problems resulting from rattlesnake bites include shock, bruising of other tissues due to poor blood clotting, tissue death at the site of the bite and a whole lot of pain.

The best defense against snake bites in pets is to keep them on a leash while hiking. As responsible pet owners, we must use common sense because very often our pets are just too goofy.

When people think of Alaska, they think of its amazing wildlife and natural beauty. But Alaska has a terrible secret: Each year, the state permits private citizens to chase down and kill dozens of wolves using low-flying aircraft and high-powered rifles.

Defenders of Wildlife has created a powerful video on the issue that I think you might want to check out online at:

http://SaveWolves.org/alaska

Warning: This video contains graphic footage of aerial wolf hunts -- wolves shot down from above, chased to exhaustion and wounded and left to die.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and anti-wolf officials in the state have worked hard to obscure the truth about the aerial gunning program, even going so far as to earmark $400,000 in state funds to "educate" Alaskans about the state's baseless aerial gunning program.

Fortunately, there is something you and I can do to help.

Watch Defenders of Wildlife's new video and then take action to urge Governor Palin to end aerial hunting of wolves online at:

http://www.SaveWolves.org/alaska

If you would prefer to take action without watching the video, please visit the website below:

http://www.SaveWolves.org/alaskanovideo

srnity: I don't really agree with hunting either..I know,I know..there will be posts about hunting is needed to keep the population down..ok,ok,whatever..I still do not agree with it...I think it would be more fair to give the animals guns and let them shoot back,lol.

 Hunters are not aloud to hunt from cars and trucks..that is called poaching,isn't it?? but yet a helicoter...to shoot WOLVES of all things...good goodness!!