Nearly 1 million animals suffer from snakebites annually in the U.S., and mortality rates are unnecessarily high for pets injured in this way. By understanding immediate action steps and the treatment options available, veterinary professionals and pet owners can aid the affected pet's recovery and ensure that a snakebite wound is not fatal.
Management
Snakebites are treated based on severity, which is determined by seen symptoms. Typically, one must identify the harmful snake and its agent (venom) and eliminate it from the body before beginning wound treatment. The anti-infection treatment includes application of antibiotic drugs simultaneously with antivenin, which eliminates the spread of toxins while preventing infections. Taking immediate action can help prevent or reduce tissue necrosis.
Treatment considerations
The forms of immediate treatment recommended in the past, such as tourniquets, aspirating the venom, and applying ice, have proven to be both ineffective and, in fact, detrimental to the recovery process. Immediate actions should be taken, but should focus on immobilizing the affected limb and identifying the perpetrating snake to help streamline treatment with relevant information.
Conventional treatment
Though treatments are based on the severity of the patient's condition, conventional treatments for snakebites include pain medication, intravenous fluids, antihistamines, steroids, antibiotics, blood transfusions, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), and antivenin — though not all patients bitten by venomous snakes are envenomated.
Prognosis
While there is currently no central data resource for the numbers of dogs bitten annually or the number of fatalities, dogs who have been bitten are estimated to have a 20 percent fatality rate across the US. A study showed mortality rates for treated patients frequently dependent on the age of the dog and type of snake, ranging from 1% to 35%.
Integrative care options to consider
After initial treatment of snakebites to ensure survival, home treatment through tPEMF has proven successful for accelerating healing of the tissue and wound, and preventing necrosis, even in patients with wounds in problematic areas that pose challenges to healing due to constant motion. Treated patients showed increased healing with no infections in only a few weeks. The noninvasive and positive nature of tPEMF therapy has established it as a growing treatment method for a variety of injuries and wounds.
Veterinary Professionals learn more about Snakebites
In this video, the application of PEMF in the care of a snakebite injury is demonstrated:
