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 Case Study - Rattlesnake Bite

NutraWound has been used with impressive results in the treatment of rattlesnake bite. A 23 year old mare named Lindsey was bitten by a rattlesnake on her right hind leg after having been bitten on the same leg a year before.

Click here to see before and after pictures.

Horse’s name: Lindsey
23 Year old mare
Running quarter horse
Height 15.1 H.H.
Weight 800 lbs.
Primary use: Pleasure and trail riding
Consulting veterinarian: Kim Sergent, DVM

NutraWound

In August of 2000, Lindsey a 23 year old mare, was bitten by a rattlesnake on her right hind leg. Coincidentally and unfortunately, this mare was bitten one year before on the same leg. Her attending veterinarian was called immediately, but due to the severity of the situation, he did not feel the mare would survive this second encounter.

Lindsey was treated minimally with the expectation that she would die. The mare did not die as expected, but her leg became grossly swollen and began to slough all of the skin from her coronary band to above her hock. Puss oozed from pockets as high as her udder and stifle. A massive infection had set in with accompanying necrosis, and she was unable to bear weight on her leg. Her opposite supporting limb also swelled to at least four times its normal size and blood trickled from her nostrils almost constantly.

The attending veterinarian was called out several times and he felt the infection had settled in the opposite leg as well, and that her body was shutting down. Surprisingly, the mare’s temperature remained normal.

The mare lost over 100 lbs. in nine days. On day-nine the owners called San Diego Equine Therapy for help. The mare was transferred to a deeply bedded stall and a companion mare was brought in for comfort. Lindsey’s supporting leg was wrapped and the treatment regime for cleaning the bad leg was changed. These changes in treatment improved the mare’s attitude.

Photos were taken from day-nine through day-sixteen. The mare was started on the product NutraWound, hoping it would help with the body's own healing process and oxygenation. An appointment was made for the following day, (day-nine was a Sunday), for a different consulting veterinarian to come and attempt to help. The owners were grateful for the little hope that there was, but realized their mare would probably be put to sleep when this veterinarian arrived the next day.

NutraWound was given every eight hours and the mare had been receiving the product for 24 hours when the new veterinarian arrived. The mare’s nose bleed had almost completely stopped. The bleeding began again for a few moments when Lindsey became upset because the companion mare moved out of sight. The bleeding stopped when Lindsey calmed down.

The mare’s eyes were brighter and her supporting good legs’ swelling was down about 50% in less than 24 hours. Her bad leg was less swollen and she was able to bear some weight on it. Her temperature was still normal when the consulting veterinarian, Dr. Kim Sergent, arrived. The doctor felt the mare had a grave prognosis, but was willing to try aggressive treatment for the next day and see how well the mare did.

Dr. Sergent changed and added to the cleaning and bandaging techniques, prescribed Metronidazole and instructed the owners to continue administering the NutraWound. Dr. Sergent also ran a complete blood panel on the mare to see how she was doing systemically. She strongly felt that the mare would slough off her hoof eventually.

The owners wanted to try everything possible before giving up on the mare. Lindsey did not lose the hoof and over the next seven days, the mare steadily improved. Her owners were diligent in her care, scubbing, cleaning and debriding the leg themselves.

The mare’s medications and the NutraWound were given exactly on schedule and her stall was kept immaculate with deep bedding. Lindsey was walking without even a limp, the wound was filling in with granulation tissue and hair had begun growing back on the upper leg. The oozing pus had stopped and the smell was almost completely gone. Her good leg returned almost to its normal size. The daily photos show the the body's own healing process to be quite dramatic.

On the eighth day of using NutraWound, which was day-seven of treatment on antibiotics, the consulting veterinarian further debrided the leg. Dr. Sergent also recommended skin grafts in the future and although Lindsey was not quite out of the woods, the mare appeared to be on her way to recovery.

The unfortunate part of this story is that the owners “ran out of steam.” They had worked so hard, but the ordeal took a toll on the entire family. They backed off on their treatment regimes, the amounts of NutraWound given were decreased, and the cleaning and changing of bandages became less frequent. The mare became depressed and was unable to walk without obvious pain. The owners felt they might not have what it would take emotionally and financially to see Lindsey through this entire ordeal. The owners did not want the mare to be in any more pain and decided to have the mare put to sleep.

Dana Meier
San Diego Equine Therapy

“Lindsey’s progress over the initial seven days after starting with the NutraWound and more aggressive medical therapy was truly amazing. Specifically, the reduction in swelling and infection, improvement in comfortability and the speed of healing. All of these things were potentiated by the addition of NutraWound to the mare’s treatment regime. With continued appropriate therapy and NutraWound, this mare’s chances for complete recovery escalated from grave to good in a week’s time.

Unfortunately, as with many intensive care equine cases, emotional burnout and financial burdens create the necessity for euthanasia, as in this case.”

Kim Sergent, DVM