Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog bleeding from boomslang snake bite treated with antiserum
By Vaughan-Scott, T & Lobetti, R G·Published in Journal of the South African Veterinary Association·1995·Department of Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Boomslang envenomation in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A young male German Shepherd was brought to the vet with bleeding from his lip, which started 24 hours after being bitten by a boomslang snake. This type of snake is not commonly encountered by dogs, but its venom can cause severe bleeding. The vet treated the dog with a specific antiserum, which successfully stopped the bleeding within an hour. This case is notable as it is the first recorded instance of a dog being affected by boomslang venom.
People also search for: dog snake bite treatment · German Shepherd bleeding from lip · boomslang snake envenomation in dogs · dog antiserum for snake bites
Abstract
This case report describes a young male German Shepherd dog that presented with bleeding from the lip 24 hours after being bitten by a boomslang (Dispholidus typus). Bites from this snake are infrequently encountered in dogs due to the shy habits of the snake. The boomslang venom is a potent procoagulant causing a consumption coagulopathy with resultant profuse haemorrhage. The only effective treatment is the administration of specific antiserum. Antiserum administration in this patient resulted in cessation of bleeding within one hour after administration. The article also discusses treatment options if antiserum is unavailable. This is the first recorded case of boomslang envenomation in the dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8691421/