western diamondback bite wound

[littleindiangirl]

if you're gonna keep hots why wouldn't you keep the anti venom close by. and could a rattler bite really get that bad in 12 minutes???? i've seen bad bites before but wow that was the worse. i plan to work with hots in the future and after that any hot that i'm about to come in contact with in any way i will have a syringe filled with the anti venom right next to the tank.

I believe anti venom is pretty expensive. And I dont know if it has a shelf life at all, but i thought I heard that somewhere's.

[Christina]

that's really awesome- i feel bad for the guy, but seeing it all from start to finish was pretty intense- my dad was an er nurse, so i'm used to hearing about all his crazy gross stories- i'm not squemish, let's just say that. as for hots, i don't think i'll ever own any, especially since they're illegal in illinois...cool pics though!

[MPenn]

I believe anti venom is pretty expensive. And I dont know if it has a shelf life at all, but i thought I heard that somewhere's.

Antivenin is not all that expensive. There are some that are but it depends on the type and where it is made. As antivenin's are a freeze-dried powder, they do have a fairly long shelf life. I would say a few years at least.

[Chuck]

Michael

Crofab is what is commonly used in Crotalus envenomations correct? Would it be ture to say that due to the large distribution of Crotalus species throughout the united states is why so much is made and available. I guess what I am trying to say in a round about way is that since rattlesnakes are native to the united states and common in many areas that the antivenom is stocked more. If you were invenomanated by say Bothrops jararacussu which venom is harder to come by you might have a hard time finding it in the US,maybe at a zoo but it would be very expensive. The only other thing I though of to add to what you said was that even if the venom isn't expensive getting envenomated can still cost big bucks to treat by the time you walk out of the hospital.

[Thunder Kat]

I believe anti venom is pretty expensive. And I dont know if it has a shelf life at all, but i thought I heard that somewhere's.

but the hospital bill i'm guessing is much more expansive and more painful. besides if you want to take the risk of owning a life threatening animal then you should take all of the precautions like keeping medication that can save your life and limbs. and all of the anti venom i've seen for sale (most of the time the same people that sell hots sell anti venom) cost about as much as the snake. so imo if you can afford the hot you can afford the anti venom.

[tweets_4611]

There were some secondary infections that set in as well....if you look at the caption of some of the pictures, at one point it says something about staff. There was also a second surgery, which I can't tell if it was b/c of something secondary, or b/c of the origanal swelling and bite. Not that that is what caused it to be so bad, but I think it would have healed a bit easier if there hadn't been the secondary infections.

Crofab is what is commonly used in Crotalus envenomations correct? Would it be ture to say that due to the large distribution of Crotalus species throughout the united states is why so much is made and available. I guess what I am trying to say in a round about way is that since rattlesnakes are native to the united states and common in many areas that the antivenom is stocked more. If you were invenomanated by say Bothrops jararacussu which venom is harder to come by you might have a hard time finding it in the US,maybe at a zoo but it would be very expensive. The only other thing I though of to add to what you said was that even if the venom isn't expensive getting envenomated can still cost big bucks to treat by the time you walk out of the hospital.

He isn't in the United States....the web site (or at least the photo gallery web site) is origanally in another language. I had emailed him to ask him some questions, and he told me again that English isn't his first language. If he is somewhere where rattlesnakes aren't as common, that might be why there wasn't antivenom ready. Just a thought...

[MPenn]

Michael

Crofab is what is commonly used in Crotalus envenomations correct? Would it be ture to say that due to the large distribution of Crotalus species throughout the united states is why so much is made and available. I guess what I am trying to say in a round about way is that since rattlesnakes are native to the united states and common in many areas that the antivenom is stocked more. If you were invenomanated by say Bothrops jararacussu which venom is harder to come by you might have a hard time finding it in the US,maybe at a zoo but it would be very expensive. The only other thing I though of to add to what you said was that even if the venom isn't expensive getting envenomated can still cost big bucks to treat by the time you walk out of the hospital.

Chuck, it really depends on where you buy the antivenin from. You can get some from Mexico for a lot cheaper than what you can buy here. Of course, it depends on the company you buy from.
I am a firm believer that if you decide to take on the responsiblity of owning a hot that you also stock your own antivenin. There is no reason why a zoo or other institution should be put in jeopardy because of your mistake.
We were actually trying to set up a antivenin bank in Texas with a few select people throughout the state that would hold the antivenin and be able to transport it if need be. Something similar to the Venom One in Dade County in Florida.
A lot of the exotic species' bites are treated with the closest related antivenin species wise. There are some hots that there is just not any antivenin for.
A hospital visit can easily run you over $15,000 depending on the severity of the bite and your reaction to the antivenin.

[Whit-e]

Wow what an experience. Brings back memories for me, not the biting part.... my Dad and I run across Rattlers all the time when we go horse back riding, I am always the unlucky one, my horse has stepped on at least two and my Dad always seems to want to chase them. He needs to see this!!

All that from one fang just barely nicking him??? Did I read that right???...... crazy!!! Glad to see he got through it and kept his arm with little permanent damage!!!

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

Imagine the days before they had antivenom and people trained to work with snake bites..... That bite could have been 100x worse before you died. The bite isn't too bad, its the scarring from the cut to relieve pressure(Fasciotomy sp?) in the arm that caused the most damage, probably saved his arm though.

Imagine this
http://www.venomousreptiles.org/libr.../554?offset=14

[wolfy-hound]

Wow. Thanks for posting. Very graphic pictures, but facinating too.
Anti-venin also takes time to prepare to inject.
The venom of a atrox eats flesh, so even with anti-venin available within minutes, you may end up with as much damage.
I don't keep hots. I'm such a klutz, I'd die. I still would like to keep a luet monocled cobra one day.. but I have every bad luck thing possible happen. I'd get bitten in the eyelid or something else horrible.
Some of the neuro-venoms wouldn't give you the graphic damage, but it would still be horrible damage, just not quite a picture-worthy.
Cheers for the guy healing so well!