Suspected envenomation by the common European adder (Vipera berus berus) in 28 horses in Finland.

Autor: Leppänen V; Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Viikintie 47, University of Helsinki, 00014, Finland. Electronic address: viivianna.leppanen@fimnet.fi., Mykkänen A; Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Viikintie 47, University of Helsinki, 00014, Finland.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of equine veterinary science [J Equine Vet Sci] 2024 Sep; Vol. 140, pp. 105145. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jul 01.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2024.105145
Abstrakt: Vipera berus berus is the only venomous snake present in the Nordic countries and cases of envenomation in horses are reported during the warmer months. Little is known about the presentation, treatment and survival of horses with common European adder envenomation. Clinical and laboratory findings, treatment and outcome are reported for 28 horses admitted to Helsinki University Equine Hospital in 2008-2023 due to suspicion of snake bite. Eleven of these horses received antivenom treatment. Other common treatments included non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (22/28), antimicrobials (19/28), intravenous fluid therapy (11/28), corticosteroids (9/28) and local treatment (11/28). All horses survived until discharge. No difference was detected in the length of hospital stay between horses with moderate envenomation that had or had not received antivenom treatment. Horses with moderate envenomation are more likely to receive antivenom treatment and require longer hospital stay than horses with mild envenomation. Antivenom treatment is not associated with shorter hospital stay. Little evidence supports the use of corticosteroids and antibiotics in treatment of envenomation. Studies with larger numbers of animals are warranted to evaluate the effect of treatment, including administration of antivenom, on long-term outcome and survival from envenomation.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None of the authors has any financial or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence or bias the content of the paper.
(Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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