Snake bite

Symptoms

An animal bitten by a snake may show several signs:

· An animal that has just been bitten may bolt or jump suddenly.

· You may notice a wound and a swollen area, usually on the leg or face. When the affected area is pressed, blood will seep from the base of the hairs.

· The animal appears anxious.

· It has muscle contractions.

· Its hair stands on end.

· The animal stands very tensely, with a curved back.

· The animal may bleed from the nostrils.

· Its urine may be red.

· In an acute case, the animal will die within 30 minutes.

Emergency treatments

· Apply a tourniquet above the wound (for leg bites only). See section on Bleeding (page 82) for how to use a tourniquet.

· Locate the bite marks, make a deep cut over the mark in line with the muscle tissue and let the wound bleed freely.

· Put your mouth to the wound and suck out the poison. Be sure to spit out the poison. (Caution: Do not do this if you have a wound or sore in your mouth.)

· Keep the animal still.

· In some countries, farmers apply red ants to the bite area.

Emergency treatments

Treatments

· Pound, press and strain the juice from a handful of leaves of Barleria lupulina, mix with 50 ml of whisky and give as a drench. Also, apply the ground leaf material directly to the wound (Thailand. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

· Pound and press the juice from 1 root (about 300 g) of Sansevieria sp. Mix the juice in 1 liter of water that has been used for washing rice. Give as a drench once only. The pounded rhizome of this plant, mixed with 1 liter of water, can also be used as a drench. (Thailand. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

· Rub the bite with an alum stone, lubricated with spit. Do this for 2-3 minutes. (1)

· Boil about 1 kg of Ochna serrulata (multiflora) root in 3 liters of water until only 2 liters remain. Cool and give the fluid as a drench. Once should be enough. (1)

Treatment for a snake bite