A collaboration between the Taiwan Veterinary Medical Association and 18 veterinary clinics across the nation would ensure that dogs bitten by snakes have access to antivenom at all hours, the association said on Saturday.
Antivenoms were considered human-only medication until an amendment to the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法) was passed in 2015, association president Chen Pei-chung (陳培中) said.
Since then, veterinarians have been qualified to obtain antivenom, but veterinary clinics are often short on antivenom or there are not enough clinics to help dogs that have been bitten by snakes, Chen said.
There are about 50 to 60 reported incidents every year of dogs having been bitten by snakes, he said.
Most snakebites occur late at night or during weekends or holidays, Chen said, adding that most of the incidents happen in mountainous areas far away from veterinary clinics.
Dogs are known to aggravate snakes once they find them, which usually results in the dog getting bitten in the head, expediting the spread of the venom to the central nervous system, Chen said, adding that such incidents are time-sensitive and some dogs would not survive the trip to a clinic that has antivenom.
The association has been in close contact with veterinarians across the nation who are willing to work with the association’s local branches, he said.
The association has delivered 24 shots of lyophilized antivenom for Taiwanese krait and cobra bites, and 17 shots of lyophilized antivenom for spotted pit viper and Taiwanese bamboo viper bites, Chen said.
Veterinary clinics in Miaoli, Changhua and Chiayi counties collaborating with the association have yet to receive their antivenom, and the association would seek to ameliorate transport procedures and increase the amount of antivenom at the veterinary clinics, he added.
After a bite occurs, dog owners should identify the type of snake that has bitten their dog, or they would have to wait until the veterinarian identifies whether the venom is a neurotoxin or consists of hemotoxins, Chen said.
Antivenom costs NT$17,500 per shot, as they are primarily for human use and need to undergo Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme certification, he said.
The Centers for Disease Control has facilitated the collaboration between the association and veterinary clinics, Chen said.
The association considers the cooperation a trial effort that might lead to larger collaboration, he added.
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