The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has agreed to make antivenins available for animal use, in part thanks to the efforts of an dog owner, the Greater Taichung Government said.
“We are glad to announce that after relentless efforts, the CDC has finally agreed to provide 50 neurotropic and 25 hemorrhagic antivenins for animal treatment starting next month for a year,” it said in a press release.
The statement added that the Taiwan Veterinary Medical Association is to be put in charge of distributing the medicines, rather than the centers.
Puma, a three-year-old Border collie, was bitten by a 45cm-long cobra while accompanying its owner, ceramics artist Chen Ching-wang (陳金旺), to his studio in a mountainous area in the city’s Shalu District (沙鹿) on May 31.
Although it was rushed to the nearest veterinary clinic and was given six antibiotic shots in four hours, Puma was left in a critical condition after the clinic failed to obtain an antivenin due to the government’s ban on the veterinary use of the antitoxins.
Fortunately, Puma’s condition took a turn for the better after being transferred to the National Veterinary Hospital’s Taichung Branch.
The case later prompted nearly 200,000 netizens to jointly urge the centers to lift the ban, with the city government also writing an official letter to the central government to push for a relaxation of the ban.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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