If you are the one people or pets in your household look to when they are injured, I highly encourage you to join the Snakebite group shared in this post.
Do you know how to treat a snake bite? Do you tourniquet? Suck and spit? Benadryl? Elevate? Ice? Ibuprofen? Some of those are correct, and some are wrong. What should you do if your child or dog is bitten? What hospital near you is able to properly treat a snakebite? Not all hospitals are equipped or follow the current standards. If you must go to a hospital that does not have up-to-date treatments, what doctor can you get to call them to make sure they follow the best protocols to lessen the risk of permanent injury and disfigurement? What conditions can happen days after a bite and how are they treated?
If you live where vipers live, this group is a fantastic resource to get the knowledge needed to get the care your child, pet, or self need to minimize damage. Doctors all over the country are on this list and give their treatment protocol and can direct you to the best place in your area to receive treatment.
A lot has changed about treating pit viper bites in the last decade. What is very troubling is how often the vets and hospitals are treating the envenomations incorrectly causing even more problems. For that reason alone, I am staying on the group.
What also amazes me is how many people living in suburban areas are finding pit vipers in garages and around items like trash cans, etc. One of our cousins told us she has seen a rattlesnake in New York state. I had no idea they were that far north.
Warning: I look at the pictures in the group from an educational/treatment protocol standpoint. I have disciplined myself to have a strong mind and a strong stomach because I am the first one in line for my family's, pets' and livestock's care. However, if you are very squeamish, you might have some problems with some of the images. It's easy to scroll on if you can't handle it.
Please Note: You can join, but you can not reply to any posts in this group. Only the doctors and vets can. I really like this approach. This keeps the information easy to find and not buried in a bunch of needless comments.
I am thankful for the education I have received through the group. It has corrected incorrect information I was given through First Aid manuals and online info. It has also opened my eyes to complications that can take place long after the bite and the length of time it takes to recover from one.
