By Tracie Mitchell
Staff Writer 

Preparing for the eclipse: rattlesnake awareness

 

August 9, 2017

WORLAND – As the solar eclipse gets closer and closer and the numbers of people visiting the area gets larger and larger, people need to be prepared for multiple things. One of those things is to protect you family, friends and visitors from getting snake bit.

Thermopolis Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Meri Ann Rush stated at the Thermopolis eclipse meeting July 24, that community members need to notify or educate visitors about rattlesnakes. The rattlesnakes will be out and a lot of people from back East aren't aware of the danger, she said.

Area hospitals are preparing for the chance that snake bites will occur having extra anti-venom on hand and are prepared to transport victims to nearby hospitals as needed. Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital Director of Environmental Services Griff Hodson stated that the hospital has several vials of anti-venom on hand and that if more is needed they can get some from nearby hospitals or transport the patient to those hospitals.

Banner Health Washakie Medical Center Pharmacy Senior Manager Michelle Hamilton stated that they are preparing by having additional vials shipped in and collaborating with other area hospitals to share doses with each other as needed. She also stated that they have the ability to replace stock within 24 hours. "I'm hopeful that we don't have to use it," she said.

South Big Horn County Hospital CEO John Adelsich stated that the hospital does not plan on having anti-venom on hand because of its short shelf life and expense but is able to obtain it if needed or transport the patient.

All snakes, including rattlesnakes are cold blooded, which means that they do not control their body temperature but that their environment does. When the snake's environment is cool the snakes are sluggish and they need heat to warm them up. That same heat that warms them up can also cause them to overheat so during the heat of the day, snakes seek out cooler, shaded places.

Knowing when and where snakes are active is a good way to avoid them. "You can try to avoid them by time of day, early morning and late evening when it's cooler, snakes are not out as much because they are cold blooded. In the heat of the day they are going to be shaded up because they will overheat," Ten Sleep veterinarian Chuck Powell said in an earlier interview.

If, in the event that avoidance doesn't work and a person is bitten, there are a few important things to do. "A person who is bitten needs to relax and move as little as possible, remove tight clothing, shoes and jewelry from the limb that was bit and call 911 immediately because you do need to go to the nearest emergency room," Banner Washakie Medical Center emergency room manager Janet Clark said in an earlier interview. "Lasting damage from the bite can range from no lasting damage to scarring to tissue loss. In extreme cases you can have loss of tissue, that is why it's so important to get to the hospital as fast as possible, as fast as safely possible," she added.

Symptoms from the bite can range from minor to life threatening. "Some of the symptoms may include: pain and burning at the site, fang marks, metallic or rubbery taste in the mouth, swelling, chills, nausea, vomiting, tissue damage, even blood thinning, "Clark said.

When bitten there is a list of things not to do according to Clark:

-Do not panic.

-Do not apply ice or submerge bitten area in a bucket of ice.

-Do not use constrictive bands, a tourniquet or constrict the limb with clothing.

-Do not cut on the site of the envenomation.

-Do not suck the poison out.

-Do not use electric shock or stun guns (myth that has surfaced over the years)

-Do not try to capture the snake and bring it to the hospital.

Community members also need to inform their visitors that their pets are also at risk of snake bite and in the event that their pet is bitten, veterinary care should be sought immediately.

Animals usually survive a snake bite with proper veterinary care. "Most of the time they will live through snake bites but usually the worst part is that horses, dogs and cats approach a snake head first and snake bites cause a tremendous amount of swelling. The occasional horse that gets bit usually gets bit on the nose and they can die, not from the poison but from the swelling cutting off their breathing," Powell said. "We've treated quite a few of them (snake bites) and you can successfully treat them, the sooner you bring them in after the bite the better. To treat the swelling we put them on antibiotics which are good against gram negative anaerobic organisms because snakes carry some really bad bugs in their mouths as well as the poison," he added.

Powell doesn't usually treat animals with anti-venom. "I usually don't treat with anti-venom. I use steroids to decrease the swelling, anti-inflammatory steroids, IV fluids to help flush the toxins out and antibiotics to prevent secondary infection," he said. "We are able to treat most animals successfully without the anti-venom, especially if we see them right away. The anti-venom, at least for pets, I believe and you would have to confirm this with the hospital, but I think it's like $22,000 a dose, so most pets don't get that," he added.

Hot Springs County Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Gordon said, "It's going to be our position on rattlesnakes that if you encounter one, just back off, leave it alone, do not attempt to kill it and just walk away."

 
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