We treated four puff adder bites last week!
A snake bite is classified as an emergency! If the patient is brought in soon after a bite, the species of snake is identified, and the appropriate treatment is given, we successfully manage to save most of our patients, like little Benz here, a 7-year-old Daxi who went home yesterday.
It is important to note that we do stock anti-venom at all of our branches and are ready for emergencies. Although we do keep a significant stock of anti-venom it can be difficult to source at times. Thus in the case of your pet being bitten or suspected to have been bitten by a snake please phone first so we can get everything ready so treatment can get started as soon as possible on your arrival. The sooner we can get treatments started on your pet the higher the chance of survival.
It is extremely important to try to identify the snake. The only effective treatment for severe snakebite envenomation from a potentially deadly snake is antivenom.
However, the antivenom is snake specific and can only be used in the case of a Black Mamba, Green Mamba, Jameson’s Mamba, Cape Cobra, Forest Cobra, Snouted Cobra, Mozambique Spitting Cobra, Rinkhals, Puff Adder, and Gaboon Adder bite. The development of antivenom is extremely expensive and takes many years as each new antivenom needs to be subjected to clinical trials, for that reason there is only antivenom for those snakes that have caused fatalities in the past.
In summary, if you suspect your pet has been bitten by a snake:
1. Call the Vet to assist you in what is the best course of action
2. Try to safely identify the snake
3. Take your pet to the vet immediately
Howick Small Animal Veterinary Clinic - 033 330 6184