EQUIVET AUSTRAILA - EQUINE INFO - SNAKE BITE

The Symptoms Snake Bite should be suspected – particularly in foals when they exhibit some or all of the following symptoms:

• Unable to suckle
• Unable to get up
• Falls over when lifted

If the foal is still able to do the following, a snake bite should be suspected:

• Normal tongue reflex
• Normal temperature
• Normal gut sounds
• No evidence of trauma
• No evidence of colic

Contact your veterinarian immediately upon first noticing any symptoms. Anti-venom for many different species of snakes are available in Australia. Identifying the type of snake will assist in determining which treatment to use, however this is not always possible!

Anti-venom can be very expensive and does not offer a guarantee of survival for your foal or horse.

The anti-venom may be used in conjunction with other medical treatments deemed necessary by your vet. It is possible for the patient to experience Anaphylactic shock as a result of the anti-venom.