From:
Pam Sessoms
Date: 2004-08-16 14:46:17 UTC
Subject: snake bites - antivenin
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <Pine.A41.4.44+UNC.0408161036300.39408-100000@login7.isis.unc.edu>
Hey all,
A friend send me a sad e-mail last night. She lost one of her ferrets to
a snakebite, but they didn't see the snake and don't know what kind it
was. They were walking the ferret outside. I don't know where on the
body the ferret was bitten, but they found twin punctures on her. The
emergency vet said that antivenin can't be used in ferrets. I know it can
be used in dogs, at least, although treatments vary and sometimes it's not
indicated. While the ferret probably would not have survived anyway,
especially since the kind of snake wasn't know, statements that "X can't
be used in ferrets" always make me perk up my ears, if X can be used in
other pets.
Does anyone know if antivenin truly can't be used in ferrets? Or has it
maybe just not been used much, if at all? I did a search of our archives
and the FML archives and didn't come up with anything. Probably this
happens so rarely that there isn't much out there.
Best wishes,
-Pam S.
End of ferrethealth Digest
***********************************