Rattlesnake envenomation in horses: 58 cases (1992-2009).

This research article looks into the cases, symptoms, treatment, and outcomes of rattlesnake bites in horses based on data from two referral hospitals in Northern California between 1992 and 2009. A significant finding is that most horses survived the bites and displayed good prognosis, with treatment such as antivenin showing potential benefits.

Study Overview and Methods

• The study is a retrospective case series investigating 58 cases of client-owned horses affected by rattlesnake envenomation from 1992 to 2009, in Northern California.
• The researchers reviewed the records of these cases and collected data on various factors such as signalment (an animal’s distinctive identification markers), clinical and laboratory findings, treatment methods applied, and the outcome of each case.
• Each horse was further assigned a Rattlesnake-Bite Severity Score (RBSS), a method used to measure the severity of envenomation. The researchers later compared different variables between horses that survived the ordeal and those that did not.

Results:

• The mortality rate among the studied cases was relatively low, at 9%.
• Of the horses studied, nine received antivenin treatment, and interestingly, none of these nine died.
• The study also identified the most common laboratory findings associated with the severity of envenomation. These are thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), hypoproteinemia (abnormally low level of protein in the blood), hyperlactatemia (too much lactate in the blood), and a high Rattlesnake-Bite Severity Score.

Conclusions and Recommendations

• According to the study, most horses showed a good prognosis after being bitten by rattlesnakes, suggesting that the adverse effects of such incidents might be less severe than previously thought.
• The study also demonstrated the potential usefulness of certain clinical examinations and laboratory test results in identifying horses with a poorer prognosis.
• Perhaps most crucially, the study suggests that treating horses with antivenin after a rattlesnake bite may be beneficial, a proposition that the researchers believe warrants further evaluation.