In Dogs Bitten by the European Adder (Vipera Berus), Do Corticosteroids and Supportive Treatment Improve Clinical Outcome Compared to Supportive Treatment Alone?

  • Hannah Harjen Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) Ullevålsveien 72, 0454 Oslo Norway

Published:

2018-08-08

Share
Open Access Logo

DOI

https://doi.org/10.18849/ve.v3i3.178

Abstract

PICO question

In dogs bitten by the European adder (Vipera berus), do corticosteroids and supportive treatment improve clinical outcome compared to supportive treatment alone?

Clinical bottom line

  • There is currently insufficient strength of evidence to either support or reject the use of glucocorticoids in dogs bitten by the European adder (Vipera berus) and further controlled trials are needed to fully answer this question.
  • Glucocorticoids may be indicated in cases of adverse reaction to antivenom treatment although there is not enough evidence to conclude whether there is a benefit to prophylactic administration prior to antivenom treatment.


Open Access Peer Reviewed

References

ARMENTANO, R. A. & SCHAER, M. 2011. Overview and controversies in the medical management of pit viper envenomation in the dog. J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio), 21, 461-70.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22316194

BOELS, D., HAMEL, J. F., BRETAUDEAU DEGUIGNE, M. & HARRY, P. 2012. European viper envenomings: Assessment of Viperfav and other symptomatic treatments. Clin Toxicol (Phila), 50, 189-96.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22372786

BRANDEKER, E., HILLSTROM, A., HANAS, S., HAGMAN, R. & HOLST, B. S. 2015. The effect of a single dose of prednisolone in dogs envenomated by Vipera berus--a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. BMC Vet Res, 11, 44.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25886633

KARLSON-STIBER, C., SALMONSON, H. & PERSSON, H. 2006. A nationwide study of Vipera berus bites during one year-epidemiology and morbidity of 231 cases. Clin Toxicol (Phila), 44, 25-30.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16496490

KÄNGSTRÖM, L. E. 1989. Adder bite (Vipera berus) in the dog and cat. Svensk Veterinartidning, 41, 38-46.

LEISEWITZ, A. L., BLAYLOCK, R. S., KETTNER, F., GOODHEAD, A., GODDARD, A. & SCHOEMAN, J. P. 2004. The diagnosis and management of snakebite in dogs--a southern African perspective. J S Afr Vet Assoc, 75, 7-13.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15214688

LERVIK, J. B., LILLIEHOOK, I. & FRENDIN, J. H. 2010. Clinical and biochemical changes in 53 Swedish dogs bitten by the European adder--Vipera berus. Acta Vet Scand, 52, 26.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20416040

LUND, H. S., KRISTIANSEN, V., EGGERTSDOTTIR, A. V., SKANCKE, E. & RANHEIM, B. 2013. Adverse reactions to equine-derived F(ab')2 -antivenin in 54 dogs envenomated by Vipera berus berus. J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio), 23, 532-7.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24102941

MALINA, T., KRECSAK, L., WESTERSTROM, A., SZEMAN-NAGY, G., GYEMANT, G., M, M. H., ROWAN, E. G., HARVEY, A. L., WARRELL, D. A., PAL, B., RUSZNAK, Z. & VASAS, G. 2017. Individual variability of venom from the European adder (Vipera berus berus) from one locality in Eastern Hungary. Toxicon, 135, 59-70.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28602828

PALVIAINEN, M., RAEKALLIO, M., VAINIONPAA, M., LAHTINEN, H. & VAINIO, O. 2013. Evaluation of renal impairment in dogs after envenomation by the common European adder (Vipera berus berus). Vet J, 198, 723-4.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24103867

SEGEV, G., SHIPOV, A., KLEMENT, E., HARRUS, S., KASS, P. & AROCH, I. 2004. Vipera palaestinae envenomation in 327 dogs: a retrospective cohort study and analysis of risk factors for mortality. Toxicon, 43, 691-9.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15109890

SUTTON, N. M., BATES, N. & CAMPBELL, A. 2011. Canine adder bites in the UK: a retrospective study of cases reported to the Veterinary Poisons Information Service. Vet Rec, 169, 607.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21868437

TURKOVIC, V., TEICHMANN, S. & DORFELT, R. 2015. European Adder bites in dogs in southern Germany. A retrospective study over a 6.5-year period. Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere, 43, 221-30.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26152480

VESTBERG, A. R., TIDHOLM, A. & LJUNGVALL, I. 2017. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory electrocardiography characterization of heart rhythm in Vipera berus-envenomed dogs. Acta Vet Scand, 59, 28.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28468664

WHITE, J. 2005. Snake venoms and coagulopathy. Toxicon, 45, 951-67.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15922768

2,584

Save

2,281

View

Vol. 3 No. 3 (2018): The third issue of 2018

Section: Knowledge Summaries

Categories :  Small Animal  /  Dogs  /  Cats  /  Rabbits  /  Production Animal  /  Cattle  /  Sheep  /  Pig  /  Equine  /  Exotics  /