VMD 511: Animal Welfare, Ethics and Jurisprudence (2+0)

SNAKE BITE

• Fatal snakebites are common in dogs.
• Because of their size, horses and cattle seldom die due to direct result of snake venom ut death may follow bites on muzzle, head or neck.

Type of Snake	Clinical symptoms
Elapines e.g. Cobra, coral snakes. They have short fangs and produce neurotoxin that paralyses the respiratory centre	Pain and swelling are minimal. Systemic neurologic signs predominate Excitement with convulsions
Viperines e.g. True vipers and pit vipers They have long fangs and produce hemotoxin, necrotizing and anticoagulant	Severe Intal tissue damage Tissue becomes discoloured within few minutes. Dark bloody fluid may ooze out of the fang wounds and coagulability of blood is completely lost.

Diagnosis of snake bite

• Clinical sings
• Identification of the snake

Differential diagnosis of snake bite

• Fracture
• Abscess
• Spider envenomations
• Allergic reactions to insect bites