Sutter Amador Hospital has been seeing a rash of rattlesnake bites lately, and the sudden spell of warm weather is being blamed. Resident Karen Salbato is the hospital’s fourth rattlesnake victim so far this year. The yearly average for rattlesnake bites is six. Reports of snakebites are even more prevalent among pets- but a rattlesnake vaccine is available for dogs. There are a number of theories as to what you should do when bitten, but doctors say only one method is reliable. "We don't want to crosscut over the bite marks, we don't want to suck it out, we do not want to put ice on that area. We simply want to keep it below the heart and transport to the hospital as quickly as possible," says hospital physician Dr. Jack Wood.