A RETROSPECTIVE EVALUATION OF VIPERA ASPIS ENVENOMATION IN DOGS TREATED WITH AN EQUINE-DERIVED F(AB’)2 VIPERID ANTIVENOM

Viper snakebite is an important health problem in dogs in Italy, where four poisonous species of the Vipera genus are commonly found: Vipera aspis, Vipera berus, Vipera ammodytes and Vipera ursini. The clinical features of viper envenomation in dogs are characterized by local tissue injury and systemic signs, including increased vascular permeability, hypotension, hemolysis, anemia, thrombocytopenia, coagulopathy, respiratory depression, myonecrosis, nervous system dysfunction, and acute renal failure. This study describes the clinic-pathologic signs and the outcome in dogs envenomed by V. aspis treated with an equine-derived F(ab’)2 viperid antivenom (Sclavo Diagnostics International Srl, Siena, Italy).