![]() These underestimations complicate achieving the proper recognition of snakebite's socioeconomic impact and thus securing foreign aid to help alleviate this global crisis. These numbers are well recognized as being gross underestimations due to poor to non-existent record keeping in some of the most affected areas. Tens of thousands of lives are lost to snakebites each year and hundreds of thousands of people will survive with some form of permanent damage and reduced work capacity. Despite its long history, the snakebite crisis is neglected, ignored, underestimated and fundamentally misunderstood. Snakes do not target humans as prey, but as our dwellings and farms expand ever farther and climate change increases snake activity periods, accidental encounters with snakes seeking water and prey increase drastically. As such, there is scope for significant improvements for reducing incidence and increasing patient outcomes. Many issues and complications in treating snakebite are a result of poor human social, economic and clinical intervention and management. A number of drugs were used in various combinations with or without antivenom and intravenous fluids in the treatment of animals with snake bite, but their role in reducing the severity of envenomations was not assessed.Clinical implications Antivenom significantly improves the chances of survival of domestic animals bitten by snakes. Overall, in 33% of cases antivenom was not used, and venom detection kits were used in only 1% of cases. Ninety-one percent of cats and 75% of dogs survived following the administration of antivenom whereas 66% of cats and 31% of dogs survived without antivenom. Cats and dogs were the most frequently reported victims. Bites were more prominent in rural (78%) than urban areas (22%) with brown, tiger and black snakes accounting for 76%, 13% and 6% of cases, respectively. ![]() Objective To determine the extent of the snake bite problem in domestic animals, its regional significance and the effects of antivenom treatment.Design A questionnaire was designed seeking information on the number and type of domestic animals referred, whether treated or untreated, type of snakes and management of the bite.Procedure The survey form was sent to 10% of veterinary surgeons, selected at random throughout Australia.Results The response of 106 veterinary surgeons revealed that snake bite in domestic animals is frequent, with an estimated 6200 cases reported annually. Here we discuss ways in which dog-owners can reduce the probability that their dog will be bitten by a venomous snake. In cases where envenomation occurs, death is by no means a certainty since, more often than not, a snake delivers a sub-lethal dose of venom. Many people bitten by snakes are in fact bitten by harmless snakes and, of those who are bitten by venomous species, not all receive venom (a dry bite). In remote areas of the world, records of snakebites in humans and dogs are unavailable or unreliable. The American south and southwest are rich in snake species and the state of Arizona boasts the greatest number of rattlesnake species.The exact number of humans bitten by venomous snakes each year is unknown. Snake diversity is highest at tropical and sub-tropical latitudes, but temperate zones also support diverse snake communities. Snake envenomation in dogs and humans is a complex medical problem and occurs wherever venomous snakes exist. About 20% of these snakes are front-fanged species and about 5% pose a serious threat to the health of a human or pet. There are approximately 3,400 species of snakes known, and the number is increasing as scientists look more carefully at snake diversity.
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