Possible Snake Bite?

[Carol]

I found Sunny at the fence Sunday morning. couldn't breathe, her neck and head were greatly swollen and she was in respiratory distress. There was foam and mucus coming out of her mouth and nostrils. She drank lots of water, and was stumbling. The vet said bring her, it sounded like strangles. I told him there were two puncture wounds on her face, one was oozing yellow and one red.
He said horses usually get bitten by a snake on the legs. I said, I know lots of horses in this area that have been bitten on the face by snakes and have the scars to prove it.

It was not encephalitis or west nile, and he said she would not make it, her gums were purple, but that it was definitely not strangles. Her neck was hard as a rock and swollen. He did not know what it was but gave her 5 or 6 shots. One to reduce the 104 temp, one steroid, one antibiotic, one (whats that shot for allergic reaction?)_ and a sedative.

She did make it through the night. monday morning her swelling was down 40 to 60%. Fever came down but was back up Monday night. No more imrpovement. Now I've been up all night again and waiting for them to open. He won't give her any more steroids for good reason - She's my only baby I've let a 4-H kid take and show at a county fair!

I don't understand why he said they wouldn't have done anything different if they knew what it was she did have. Couldn't you then treat the problem and not just the symptoms, or is that all they can do?

We live in the forest and --pond on property behind us has water moccasins and there are rattlesnakes around as well as chicken snakes that are not poisonous.

[Inyureye]

I split this above post from a topic which was last attended in April. New discussions should be posted as a new thread, and usually continuations of old topics from several months ago deserve a new thread, as well.
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[Arctic Cielo]

How is the mare now? Did you do a test for West Nile??? It sounds exactly like my horse that had west nile. Couldn't walk, high temp, swollen face, throat and neck.
Please update on her condition

[Carol]

unfortunately, she died Two Tuesdays ago. The vet took good care of her for 4 days, and the father took care of her Thursday and she was nickering and whinnying by Friday. Then the son of the owner took over her care when the first doctor had to go out of town. The son already decided she should be put down. Bad bedside manner and told me it made him mad he had to have his clothes smelling like pus when he drained her infection. I told him I thought they could put in stints nowadays to let the esophagus heal over it, and he said, "well,when I was an intern, we did that to a Kentucky Derby Horse. And I tell you this to let you know that to these people money was no object. After 3 months, we had to put it down anyway" I told him every case was different, and I saw from her she was a fighter.


The son "took care of her" from Friday to Monday morning and she dropped down to 377 pounds. when I found out Texas A & M did esophagal tear surgery, I decided to transport her there even after I told them I would put her down Monday evening. she arrived at TAM cachetic, with pneumonia and a bacterial infection. they told me after one week that they scoped her and she wasn't going to need surgery after all, because the esophagal tear was healing on its own.

However, during the night several days later, her heartbeat came up, she went into distress and died. She never overcame the completely dehydrated condition she arrived in. Probably caused organ failure. She was our baby or I wouldn't have spent the time and money trying to save her.

[Turn N Burn]

so so so so so sorry to hear about your loss, may she stay in your hearts forever!!!
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[Tweety]

Carol:

I think you were right about your horse having been snake bitten, not only do the web sites but also my books say that horses are usually bitten on the face or legs. A bite on the leg is just usually less life threatening because of the structure of the leg its self. The face however in a whole nother story, I believe the reason your horses gums were pruple is because she wasn't able to take in enough oxygen, just like when things are chokeing, people turn blue, and animals gums turn blueish-purple. I think your gut instinct was right on the money. I think your vet should have known this and did but just didn't care. I think regardless of the cause it was obvious your horse couldn't take in enough air because of the swelling on her face and neck, that vet should have done an emergency tracheotomy (sp) and worried about any secondary symptom from that later. He should have drawn blood to verify it was a snake bite and which anti-venom to treat it with.

These might give you more answers:
http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/info/snakebite.html
http://www.equisearch.com/advice/how_to/snakebite051103/index.html

I also feel very strongly that no vet has the right to sentence another persons loved one to death either by injection or just by giving up. I also think that if I was in your shoes not only would I give that vet a piece of my mind and educate him on snake bites and compassion but I'd let him know I'd find me a more compatent vet.

I'm sorry for your lose, I do believe we will see our dearest and most special friends when we get to heaven, mostly cuz I don't think my heaven would be very heavenly without animals in it.

Tweety

[Tweety]

Oh, and just wanted to add one more thing, I was trained in nursing but never used it after school but somebody else I've seen on here is a nurse.
Tell me if I'm wrong: When you subspect a blockage of air the first thing you do in most cases is establish an airway? (There are rare exceptions to this rule ie... you've got a huge pipe sticking outa your neck that has become or replaced your airway...something odd like that...lol

Sorry, it's all I could think of...lol

Tweety

[horsewoman1965]

ABCs
airway,breathing, and circulation.
I read in a horse mag awhile back that in a situation like that, a water hose placed into the airway will help keep it open.
I don't remember reading this thread last year.
A filly that belonged to a friend of mine got snake bit at just a few days old on her neck. Vet advised them to put her down. They decided if she looked to be suffering, they would do it but as long as she remained strong they would leave her be. Now this filly would have milk pour out the side of her neck when she nursed. Meaning, she had a tear in the esophagus. It took 6 months for this to heal. She was stunted by not having all the nutrition she should've. No one wanted this filly cause they were all afraid it wouldn't ever completely heal so I bought her for a small price before she healed. Vet says she may have trouble with "choke" when she gets older but so far she is fine and grew to app. 14.3 hands. She's five now and doing fine.
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