Written by Karl Beidatsch Thursday, 06 November 2008 11:47
“Generally our first worry is how venomous the snake is,” says head vet, Dr Katrin Swindells.
“Brown snake venom is milder than the tiger snake’s. They both have a paralysing toxin and a procoagulant that uses up all the clotting factors. It makes the animal like a haemophiliac until they regenerate them.
“But as well as those toxins, tiger snakes also have a myotoxin that breaks down the muscles of the animal, and it doesn’t stop until they’re given the antivenom.”
Brown and Tiger snakes are the most commonly encountered in the Perth metro area.
In humans, the type of snake is often identified by swabbing the bite and testing the venom on the skin.
“When animals encounter a snake, they usually try to chase or kill it,” says Dr Swindells.
“They’re often brought in with bites to the face.
“Rather than wasting time trying to find the bite location, shaving off the fur and swabbing the skin, we go straight for a blood or urine sample to run through a venom testing kit.”
Once the venom has been identified, the antivenom can be given.
Tailored antivenoms are created from antibodies generated by horses, which are treated with safe doses of different types of snake venom. Over time, they develop antibodies which are extracted from their blood plasma, purified, sterilised and made into antivenom.
There are six different types of antivenom, covering the different general breeds of snake, so choosing the correct type is important.
“If we’re not sure of the type of snake, and the envenomation seems mild, then we’ll give the animal the mixed tiger-brown serum,” says Dr Swindells.
“It works out cheaper for a basic case than running all the tests.
“We’ll only do the tests and give the antivenom if there are signs of envenomation, since sometimes snakes deliver ‘dry bites.’
“We see lots of snake bite cases, and they’re all very treatable.”
Dr Swindells urges all pet owners to insure their animals.
“There’s nothing worse than having to put down an animal that would otherwise survive a snakebite because its owners cannot afford the treatment,” she says.
“A typical treatment for snakebite will easily cost more than $800, and insurance will cover most of that.”
Signs your pet may have been bitten by a snake:
- Difficulty blinking
- Weak gag reflex
- Wobbly gait
- Loss of bladder/bowel control (May indicate severe envenomation)
- Unexplained collapse with apparent recovery (May indicate severe envenomation)
- Paralysis (May indicate severe envenomation)
What to do if you suspect snakebite:
- Keep the pet calm
- Go to a vet immediately
- Perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation if the animal stops breathing
- Bring in the snake if it is dead – do not approach a live snake or kill it
