Managing pitting oedema post adder bite

RE: Managing pitting oedema post adder bite

Liz Barton — Sat, 11 Aug 2018 23:15:12 GMT

[quote user="SER"]rest/immobilise to limit the spread of the toxin[/quote]

This may be making the oedema worse if the dog isn't moving around. I would think if it's had anti-toxin you're safe in terms of toxin spread, but this is just supposition.

RE: Managing pitting oedema post adder bite

Roland Bulkyn-Rackowe — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 17:24:38 GMT

Odd, I've been in practices where we see infrequent snake bites - one a year in the last 17 years (although sometimes 3 or 4). Oedema has been a striking feature in most dogs unless they have received prompt anti venom. Many that I saw had no anti venom as the owner was not prepared to pay. I can't remember doing much for the oedema other than supportive treatment. Many were Labradors with plenty of stretchy skin, I'd been much more concerned if a greyhound.

RE: Managing pitting oedema post adder bite

David Mills — Sat, 28 Jul 2018 20:33:16 GMT

The use of corticosteroids in these is controversial, due to a paper by vpis a few years ago, was discussed on here at some length. The papers strong conclusions re steroids was not supported by its data.

I'd be giving this dog dex. The oedema sounds progressive and excessive and is related to inflammation, with no positive function at this point, and potentially increasing morbidity.

As Jo says, this is not normal presentation or progression for adder bite so there may be some underlying sensitivity or over reaction from the dog that needs reigning in.

RE: Managing pitting oedema post adder bite

Sara Ramsey — Sat, 28 Jul 2018 20:28:47 GMT

Hmmm..thank you for the input. I am caring for him OOH and over the weekend. His own vet saw two puncture marks on left fore and he was given anti-venin by them...but potentially 18 hours post bite.

From what I've read there is usually lots of oedema and I was thinking along the lines that the skin on greyhound legs don't have much "give" and perhaps cope less well with oedema? Cool compresses seem to be helping.

RE: Managing pitting oedema post adder bite

Jo Dyer — Sat, 28 Jul 2018 19:16:00 GMT

Hi SER,

I'm not going to be of much help I'm afraid, but what I would say is that I have seen a lot of adder bites and none of them had your greyhound's symptoms.

Mostly we had them in, gave them antivenom in a relatively small amount of iv fluids, gave them nsaid and antibiotic and then sent them home They would be in hospital for only a few hours. By the re-examination in 24 hours' time, they were all massively improved and were all 100% after 2-3 days (from a case series of about 30 that I compiled).

Your greyhound sounds as if he may have a vasculitis? Was it definitely a snake bite? Maybe an aberrent immune response to the insult? Anyway, this is not a ‘normal’ response to an adder bite and sounds as if it needs further investigation. Hopefully someone with more medicine knowledge than me will be along soon to provide ideas for that.

Good luck with the case and keep us posted if you can.