SNAKE BITES MANAGEMENT & TREATMENT IN LIVESTOCK
A large percentage of India’s population resides in rural areas and is mostly dependent on agriculture where livestock production dominates . Farmers in rural areas are sometimes faced with livestock diseases and problems like snakebite. Cattle are believed to be more vulnerable to snakebite than goats . Snakebite can be a serious problem to cattle in summer when it is warm and favourable for snakes to be out of their holes hunting on pastures where cattle graze. During grazing, cattle are at a high risk of coming in contact with snakes. Snakebite has been reported as a serious problem for livestock all over the world.
Poisoning by snakebite requires an immediate medical attention. Some farmers are either resource poor or stay far away from urban areas and they cannot easily acquire modern medicine for their livestock. Such farmers usually tend to use traditional remedies.
Snake bites are common in most rural areas, particularly in forest and forest fringe villages. Deaths of livestock due to poisonous snake bites are a major cause of death in our forest covered area despite being highly preventable.
Snake bite in animals generally occurs during grazing or hunting or while playing in the garden. Most of the cases of snake bite have been reported in dogs and horses . Poisoning from snake venom in animals is an emergency which requires immediate attention or otherwise delayed and inadequate treatment may lead to untoward consequences.
There are nearly 216 species of snakes in India in which 60 are considered poisonous . The most poisonous, medically important species of India distributed widely throughout the country, nearly one lakh animals in the world fall prey to venomous snake bite every year. In India, snake bite is a common and important cause of accidental death in livestock. Exact data on snake bite in livestock is not available in the country. However, this is very common death cause in animals especially in rural areas of India. Snake bite is common in animals such as cattle, sheep, goat and dogs. Snake venom is a mixture of toxins. Depending on the type of snake the venom constituents vary. The animals exhibit various symptoms like cardio pulmonary dysfunction, local tissue damage, blood coagulation defects, atexia etc, depending on type of snake bite. Poisoning from snake venom in animals is an emergency which requires immediate attention or otherwise delayed and inadequate treatment may lead to untoward consequences so snake bite with Envenomation requires immediate attention and treatment is must . Russel’s viper is one common poisonous snake in Indian subcontinent .
Many snake bites can cause injury or death in livestock, and treatment depends on the type of animal bitten and its sensitivity to that particular snake’s venom. Horses are at the top of the sensitivity list, followed by sheep, cows, goats, dogs (and humans), pigs and cats.
How to identify snake bites——-
When a sheep is bitten by a poisonous snake, the animal will experience difficulty swallowing, the tongue will protrude limply from the mouth and the animal will dribble saliva.
This may be followed by the expulsion of the stomach contents through the nostrils and the sheep lying down, unable to move. Death can occur as a result of respiratory failure, if bitten by a cobra, or the animal could drown in its own saliva.
For goats, symptoms are similar to those of sheep, though goats show less sensitivity to snake venom. However, goats can die from puff adder bites. Surprisingly little research has been done on snake bites in cattle.
However, although the animals are extremely sensitive to venom, it would appear that death occurs only with multiple bites. Other factors that come into play include the amount of venom injected; the size of both the cow and the snake; and the age and health of the animal.
A healthy cow is less likely to succumb to the effects of venom than an older individual in poor health. Where it was bitten is also important.
Typically, bites occur on the head, face and muzzle area while the animal is grazing, and are far more serious than bites on the legs. Cattle that have been bitten often show signs of a “goose stepping” type of leg action.
Bite types———-
Venomous snakes fall into two categories: elapids, which include cobras and mambas, and vipers, such as puff adders. Elapids have short fangs and tend to “chew” their venom into their victim.
The poison affects the nervous system and kills by paralysing the respiratory system.
Vipers have long, hinged hypodermic needle-like fangs that penetrate the flesh, delivering venom deep into the tissue. This causes enormous damage to blood vessels and loss of tissue.
Localised bleeding and tissue necrosis can occur even in animals which make a full recovery. In some cases, persistent lameness may occur.
However, many snake bites in livestock are thought to be “dry bites”, where no venom is injected. A snake can determine the size of an animal and its venom is a valuable resource it doesn’t waste indiscriminately.
Therefore a dry bite is delivered as a warning. It’s also important to remember that not all snakes are venomous. Unless you can positively identify the snake, assume that it has delivered a dry bite if no symptoms materialise.
Unfortunately, every year thousands of harmless snakes are killed, when, in fact, they are one of the best rodent predators a farmer could wish for.
First aid————-
Before calling the vet, try and determine if the animal has actually been bitten by a venomous snake. Although it may be difficult to locate the bite due to the hair on the animal’s body, bleeding or swelling are good signs to look out for.
A bite from a venomous snake will leave two quite distinctive puncture wounds, which will bleed profusely in the case of a puff adder bite.
A bite from a non-venomous snake will probably leave no teeth marks, unless it was from a large python. Teeth marks result in multiple puncture wounds and copious bleeding.
Some tips———–
• If the animal has been bitten in the nostrils or muzzle, these areas will swell, making it difficult for the animal to breathe. Pass a piece of clean tubing up the nostrils to maintain an open airway. Where the animal shows signs of paralysis, breathing down the tube will help keep it alive until the vet arrives.
• Keep the animal calm, as an increased heart rate will spread venom through the body much more rapidly. Let the vet come to the animal rather than trying to walk it to a more accessible spot, as this will only increase its heart rate.
• Never cut the wound and try to suck out the venom. If you have a cut in your mouth, you’ll be poisoned as well.
• In the case of a cobra bite (excluding the Mozambique spitting cobra), apply a pressure bandage over the bite and wrap it up to the top of the limb. This is not a tourniquet as its aim isn’t to stop blood flow, but to slow down the venom’s absorption into the lymph system. (If applied to a viper bite, where swelling develops, this will do more harm than good.)
• For viper and spitting cobra bites, simply keep the animal calm, and seek veterinary treatment as quickly as possible.
• Do not apply a hot or cold compress, as this could damage the tissue even further.
• Do not administer any form of alternative treatment. The only proven treatment for snake bites is anti-venom.
• Your vet should be able to determine whether the animal was bitten by a snake, whether or not venom was injected, what type of snake it was and if the animal requires anti-venom. Some animals may recover simply with supportive care.
After the bite———-
Most bites are on the lower legs, unless it’s a curious individual that approaches the snake to smell it. A bite on the leg shows up as a swollen leg. The biggest problem would be infection in those tissues.
The danger/potency of a bite depends on amount of venom injected and the type of toxin — which can vary, depending on the species or variety of snake. It also makes a difference where the bite is located. A bite on the leg is usually not as dangerous as a bite on the face. Swelling from a bite on the nose, for instance, may cause death from suffocation if it shuts off the air passages and the animal cannot breathe.
If you see the animal bitten, or suspect it was bitten, treat with an antibiotic.There are bacteria in the snake’s mouth, and bacteria that proliferate in damaged, dying tissue.
Most common antibiotics will work to prevent and combat these infections; you can use penicillin, oxytetracycline, ampicillin or any other broad-spectrum antibiotic. Some animals develop a fever and/or septicemia from the infection; antibiotics can help prevent these problems.
Immediate treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce inflammation, pain and swelling can make a big difference, but it’s sometimes hard to treat cattle early because you might not see them as soon as you might notice a snake-bitten pet.
In humans, treatment within the first couple of hours is generally accomplished, but we rarely get that opportunity with cattle.There are antivenom products that work, but those need to be infused within the first few hours. They are expensive, and they don’t cover every type of snakebite. These products are not very practical for adult cattle because it would take multiple vials for an animal this large.
How to recognise a snake bite——
If your livestock/ pet is unfortunate enough to have an encounter with a snake you can help by being aware of the signs and symptoms of snake bite, and getting the affected animal to the hospital as quickly as possible. Dogs, cats and horses are all at risk, although curious dogs are the most frequently affected.
The first signs of snake envenomation are usually excitement, trembling, salivation and vomiting, gradually developing into weakness, wobbly gait and eventually paralysis. Afflicted dogs often have dilated pupils and slow light reflex, with clotting problems in their blood. Depending on the type of snake and how much venom has been injected, an animal bitten by a snake may show any of the following symptoms:-
• Localised swelling and irritation
• Vomiting
• Drooling and trembling
• Dilated pupils
• Involuntary bladder or bowel release
• Red or brown discolouration of urine
• Rapid breathing and/or panting
• Bleeding from bite wounds or bloody diarrhoea
• Collapse. An animal may collapse immediately but then apparently recover, then develop symptoms over the course of the next hour
• Paralysis (starting with the hind legs and progressing towards the head)
TREATMENT ——–
The affected animal in case of cow are treated with 40 ml of polyvalent snake venom antiserum along with 2000 ml of normal saline is administered intravenously fallowed by Dexamethasone phosphate 0.5 mg/kg and 1000 ml of 5% dextrose. 5 ml of Tetanus toxoid is also administered subcutaneously as single dose. In addition, injection ceftiofur sodium at the dose rate of 1mg per kg body wt. is given intramuscularly twice a day for 3 days. The animal is kept under close observation for careful monitoring.
In case of dog ,it is treated with lyophilized polyvalent anti-snake venom (Serum institute of India). The clear supernatant obtained after dilution is slowly administered intravenously in a shot of 1ml at an interval of 3-4 minutes up to 10 ml. In addition, 500 ml of 5% DNS (Dextrose Normal Saline) each is administered intravenously to the dog. Dexamethasone (Dexona, Cadila pharma) at the dose of 2mg/kg is administered i/v and Atropine sulphate (Tropine, Neon Labs) at the rate of 0.04mg/kg i/m. Further Enrofloxacin (Enrocin, Ranbaxy) at the dose of 5 mg/kg, i/m and tetanus toxoid (Serum institute of India) 2ml i/m are given. Then the animal is kept under observation After 1 hr . If it is observed that dog is passing blood in the urine, Botropase (Juggart) 1ml i/v is administered to dog. The antibiotic therapy is continued for 5 days.
NB——
Snake venoms are complex mixture of proteins and peptides, consisting of both enzymatic and non enzymatic compounds. Snake venoms also contain inorganic cat ions such as sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and small amounts of zinc, iron, cobalt, manganese, and nickel. The other components of snake venoms are glycoproteins, lipids, and biogenic amines, such as histamine, serotonin and neurotransmitters (catecholamines and acetylcholine).The clinical symptoms of pale conjunctival mucous membrane, incoordination, frothy salivation, dullness, tympany with low pH were in line with the reports . An uneventful recovery was recorded following the treatment with antiserum along with antibiotics, dexamethasone and tetanus toxoid. Broad-spectrum antibiotics, tetanus toxoid and polyvalent snake venom antiserum have earlier been tried successfully for the treatment of snakebite envenomation in dogs, cats and other animals . The toxicity of snake venom is attributed mainly to proteolytic enzymes viz., phosphatidase, cholinesterase and neurotoxin. Neurotoxin present in the snake venom affects the central nervous system and results in failure of cardiovascular system. Proteolytic enzymes are responsible for local changes in permeability leading to edema, blistering, bruising and local necrosis .
Snake myths———-
Warning signal
Myth: Rattlesnakes always signal an impending strike by rattling.
A strike is not always preceded by rattling, particularly when the rattlesnake is startled and cornered. They also do not need to be in a full coil before striking.
Milk-drinking snakes?
Myth: Milksnakes sneak up to cows, latch onto their udders and drink their milk.
Milksnakes are commonly found around and in barns and other farm building, as well as in pastures, meadows and backyards. However, they are there for their prey – mice, small snakes, lizards, small frogs and insects – rather than cow’s milk, which the snakes could not even digest.
In addition, it’s doubtful that a cow would allow a snake’s sharp teeth to clamp onto its udder or even to get close enough to make the attempt.
Slimy snakes
Myth: Snakes are slimy.
Amphibians, like frogs and toads, secrete mucous through their skin and thus are moist and slippery. Reptiles, like snakes, do not secrete mucous, are covered with dry scales and feel dry to the touch.
Long tails
Myth: A snake is mostly tail.
While the long, slender body of a snake creates that impression, only about the rear fifth of the body is muscular tail. Most of the body holds the snake’s elongated organs.
Deaf snakes?
Myth: Snakes cannot hear.
Snakes do lack eardrums, which led generations of naturalists to believe the reptiles were incapable of hearing airborne sounds. However, snakes do have inner ears and recent research has shown they can sense soundwaves and vibrations in the ground. There is some evidence that they are not as sensitive to high-pitched noises.
Snakebite advice
Myth: To treat a snake bite, cut small Xs over the two puncture marks in the skin and suck out the venom.
It’s always been the wrong advice, even when it was printed on the tiny instruction sheets included in millions of rubber snakebite kits. A human will not be able to suck out the venom and the cuts in the skin can lead to infection.
If someone in your party is bitten, make a definitive identification of the snake and get to a doctor as soon as possible. Remain calm and keep the bitten area lower than the heart. Remove any items of clothing that might constrict the body if the area of the bite swells.
Venomous/non-venomous hybrids
Myth: Northern copperheads and black rat snakes interbreed and produce a new hybrid species of venomous snake.
The two species are in different taxonomic families and incapable of interbreeding. The two species often den together for hibernation, which is the likely source of the myth.
Count the rattles
Myth: A rattlesnake’s age can be determined by counting the number of rattles on its tail.
That assumes that a rattlesnake gains one rattle each year and that it never loses a rattle. Neither assumption is accurate.
A rattlesnake gains a new rattle each time it sheds its skin. Young rattlesnakes will shed every few weeks, acquiring another tail bulb each time. Old rattlesnakes may shed twice each year.
In addition, a rattlesnake does not hold onto all its rattles throughout its life. Over time, some of the rattles break off and are lost.
Poisonous or venomous
Myth: Poisonous and venomous are synonymous.
Poisons work by being eaten, drank, breathed in or absorbs. Venoms work by being injected by fangs, stingers and the like.
There are no poisonous snakes in Pennsylvania, but there are three venomous snakes: Timber rattlesnake, northern copperhead and eastern massasauga.
Summer blindness
Myth: The heat of summer renders snakes temporarily blind.
Many snakes shed in late summer because that is their cycle rather than because of the heat. Their shedding includes the ocular scales over their eyes, and when the old scales separate from the new the snake temporarily loses its eyesight, or at least has greatly reduced vision.
Look closely at the eyes on the black rat snake in the above photo.
Powerful babies
Myth: The bite of a baby venomous snake is more lethal than the bite of an adult.
In many species, adult snakes pack far more virulent venom than the young of the species. However, adults are experienced in using their venom to take down prey and fight off attacks. They can regulate the amount of venom they inject and sometimes will dry strike, injecting no venom.
Baby snakes, on the other hand, are not as in control of their muscles and will pump all their venom into each strike. Only in that situation would a baby snake pack a bigger punch than an adult.
Teeth or fangs
Myth: All snakes have fangs.
All snakes have teeth. Some have very large teeth. However, only venomous snakes have fangs.
Business end of the snake
Myth: A snake’s head cut from its body can bite and, in a venomous species, deliver venom.
This one is true. It’s estimated that more than half of rattlesnake bites happen after the head has been removed. Herpetologists recommend that 24-36 hours is required before the head can no longer bite.
More bites at night
Myth: More snakebites occur at night.
Snakes are active during the day and the night. Encountering a snake and being bitten is much more a function of location, local conditions and behavior of the local snakes than on time of day.
Great performances
Myth: The eastern hog-nosed snake sprays venom.
While the eastern hog-nosed snake simulates a spitting cobra when threatened, it is not venomous. It will hiss as part of the act, and that exhaling may be mistaken for spraying venom.
Compiled & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
Image-Courtesy-Google
Reference-On Request.
