Snakebite 101 for Overlanders
It’s snake encounter season. Are you ready?
It happens every year. Spring arrives. Everything comes out of hibernation to enjoy the sunshine outdoors. This includes snakes — both venomous and nonvenomous.
Hikers, overlanders and campers are out exploring the more hidden reaches of the West. Besides hunters, those recreating in our hobby are the most likely to have encounters with snakes. Besides being excruciatingly painful, venomous snakebites include the possibility of permanent disability. Do you want to be responsible for this happening with your children or your pets?
The following is intended to share information that (1) will dispel a couple of popular myths, (2) will help you keep yourself and loved ones safer out in the wild and (3) will help you be prepared to advocate for a snakebite victim before, during and after care.
I’ve been thinking about writing this for a number of years. I’ve had a couple of close calls myself with rattlesnakes, but it was a 6-month old puppy walking back into camp in Baja, MX with a bloody rattlesnake in her mouth that got me really thinking about what we would do if she had been bitten. Or if one of the humans in our group had been bitten when they stepped behind a cactus for a bit of privacy. It turns out that in that particular case, we were a three-hour drive from a hospital that does NOT carry the antivenom. The nearest antivenom was a seven-hour drive away.
Humans and poisonous snakebites:
Myth: Snakebites can be treated in the field with sucking the wound or treated in the field using a “snakebite kit.” These are fallacies. The only treatment for envenomation is treatment in a hospital with costly vials of antivenom. If you are bitten, you need to seek professional care as quickly as possible while elevating the bitten extremity. I say extremity because statistically, snakes bite men in the hands and legs most often. Yes, men. Women are statistically less likely to get bitten, although it does happen. Ask the women in your life why. It has nothing to do with machismo.
Antivenom can be so costly that many smaller hospitals cannot afford to stock it and have to special order it when needed. Typically, the wholesale cost (price the hospital pays the supplier) is $1200-$3400 a vial in the US. Do you know if the small, regional hospital(s) closest to the area(s) that you like to recreate in stock antivenom? If you don’t know, you should check.
Once at a hospital, patient receives antivenom appropriately. This means that a patient may need one or two vials. ….or they could need 8–10 vials.
“The hospital will bill the use of antivenom, along with everything else, at a higher rate. This varies among hospitals. The highest I’ve heard is $10k per vial. I’m sure there’s places that charge more.”
— Dr. Brandehoff, National Snakebite Support
Envenomation treatment can easily run upwards of $200,000. Most of this is the cost of the pharmaceuticals. Insurance usually covers snakebite treatments. If not, the patient will have to cover the costs. Does your coverage have limits for this care? Don’t know? Call and check. Are you prepared to advocate for yourself in the moment? It would be better to know where you stand ahead of time.
Dogs and poisonous snakebites:
Myth: I can give my dogs vaccine shots ahead of time to protect them. I have heard this one numerous times from very educated people. Unfortunately, this is a myth and these individuals need to brush up on the topic. In recent years, studies have shown that vaccines are ineffective. Again, the only proper thing to do if your dog is bitten is to get them prompt medical care.
Snake aversion training can be effective. …but this requires that both the dog and the owner are trainable.
Veterinary medicine (like all healthcare) evolves. Sometimes the vets are up to speed on the topic. Sometimes they might not be. Learn to ask the right questions respectfully and advocate for your pet. A common approach when a dog is admitted with a bite is to administer steroids and antibiotics. Vets can sometimes be cautious to recommend antivenom because it is costly. See the attached infographic with the recommendations for pet envenomation treatment from the NSS.
Learn More: After my experience on that beach in Baja, I decided to educate myself on the subject and began reading up on the matter. I discovered an excellent resource in the National Snakebite Support Facebook Group . Unlike most Facebook groups, the NSS is not full of keyboard warriors spreading misinformation. Instead, it is comprised of medical and veterinary doctors (and supporting moderators) who can accurately speak to the topic. More importantly, they are prepared to quickly and concisely respond to the needs of human and pet snakebite victims in real time. In addition to learning from the responses to active cases, there is a wealth of information in the Files section in the NSS group. If nothing else, join this group and learn a bit about the topic for yourself.
In closing: Walk loud in snake country. Be snake aware. Know how to identify the poisonous snakes in the areas that you recreate in. Do not reach down and pick up rocks or reach into brushy foliage without looking first. Know your rights as a patient or as a pet owner. Know how to advocate for yourself and those you love.
Resources:
Snakebite Foundation blog post on surviving snakebites in the wilderness
Book — What To Do If You’ve Been Bitten By A Snake
Facebook Group: National Snakebite Support
Facebook Group: Snake Identification
About the Author: Matthew Mangus is an accomplished outdoorsman with almost 50 years of experience exploring and recreating in the outdoors but is still learning new things every day. Matthew serves as the Creative Director for mangai.rollin, an experiential and content marketing agency that works and plays in the automotive, outdoor and vices industries.
