Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Crotalid antivenom use and risks in 115 cats bitten by rattlesnakes
By Pashmakova, Medora B et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2013·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Multicenter evaluation of the administration of crotalid antivenom in cats: 115 cases (2000-2011).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 115 cats that were bitten by venomous snakes received antivenom treatment to help them recover. While most cats showed improvement, about 22% experienced allergic reactions, which made them more likely to face serious complications. The study found that giving premedications before the antivenom did not help reduce these reactions or improve survival rates. Overall, the cats treated with antivenom had a low death rate, but those who had allergic reactions were at a significantly higher risk.
People also search for: cat snake bite treatment · cat antivenom allergic reaction · symptoms of cat snake bite · cat emergency care after snake bite
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate use of crotalid antivenom, frequency of hypersensitivity reactions, and risk factors for hypersensitivity reactions and death in envenomed cats. DESIGN: Retrospective multicenter case series. ANIMALS: 115 envenomed cats treated with antivenom and 177 envenomed cats treated without antivenom. Procedures-Medical records from 5 institutions were searched by means of a multiple-choice survey with standardized answers for patient data including signalment, diagnosis, antivenom administration criteria, premedication, product, dose, administration rate, hypersensitivity reactions, and mortality rate. RESULTS: 95 of 115 (82.6%) cats received whole IgG antivenom, 11 (9.57%) received F(ab')2 antivenom, and 4 (3.48%) received Fab antivenom. The majority (101/115 [878%]) of cats received 1 vial of antivenom. In all cats, the median dilution of antivenom was 1:60 (range, 1:10 to 1:250) administered over a median period of 2.0 hours (range, 0.3 to 9.0 hours). There was no mortality rate difference between cats that did (6.67%) or did not (5.08%) receive antivenom. A type I hypersensitivity reaction was diagnosed in 26 of 115 (22.6%) cats. The use of premedications did not decrease type I hypersensitivity or improve mortality rate. Cats that had a type I hypersensitivity reaction were 10 times as likely to die as were those that did not have such a reaction. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The mortality rate of cats treated with antivenom was low. The administration of premedications did not improve mortality rate or prevent hypersensitivity reactions. The only variable associated with mortality rate was development of a type I hypersensitivity reaction. The rate of antivenom administration should be further evaluated as a possible risk factor for type I hypersensitivity reactions.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23902445/