Tiger Multi-Brown Snake Antivenom

It is estimated that each year in Australia over 6200 cases of snakebite are presented to Veterinarians, 76% suffering from Brown snake envenomation and 13% Tiger snake. However the actual number of snakebite in animals is thought to be much higher. If you take into consideration that Australia has 21 of the worlds 25 deadliest snakes, these two facts coupled together produces a lot of very sick animals.

Summerland Serums has two snake antivenom products for Veterinary use, Tiger/Multi Brown Snake Antivenom and Multi-Brown Snake Antivenom

DOSAGE & DISTRIBUTION CHART

*Multiple vials of antivenom may be required in severe cases. What is recommended is the appropriate initial dose only.

Snake	Distribution	Antivenom of choice	Rec. Initial dose
Notechis scutatus Mainland/ Eastern Tiger Snake	QLD, NSW, VIC, SA	TIGER / MULTI-BROWN	1 Vial
Notechis ater Black/ Island Tiger Snake	WA, SA, TAS	TIGER / MULTI-BROWN	2 Vials
Chappell Island Black Tiger Snake	TAS	TIGER / MULTI-BROWN	4 Vials
Pseudonaja textilis Common/ Eastern Brown Snake	NT, QLD, NSW, VIC, SA	TIGER / MULTI-BROWN MULTI-BROWN	¼ -½ Vial 1 Vial
Pseudonaja nuchalis Gwardar/ Western Brown Snake	WA, NT, SA, QLD, NSW, VIC	TIGER / MULTI-BROWN MULTI-BROWN	¼ - ½ Vial 1 Vial
Pseudonaja affinis Dugite	WA, SA	TIGER / MULTI-BROWN MULTI-BROWN	¼ - ½ Vial 1 Vial
Austrelaps Copperheads	SA, VIC, TAS, NSW	TIGER MULTI BROWN	1 Vial
Pseudechis porphyriacus Red Bellied/ Common Black Snake	SA, VIC, NSW, QLD	TIGER / MULTI-BROWN	1 Vial
Pseudechis australis Mulga Snake	WA, SA, QLD, NT, NSW	Black Snake A.V/ or TIGER MULTI BROWN	1 Vial or 6 Vials
Pseudechis guttatus Blue Bellied or Spotted Black Snake	QLD, NSW	TIGER MULTI BROWN	1 Vial
Pseudechis colletti Collett’s Snake	QLD	TIGER MULTI BROWN	3 Vials
Pseudechis butleri Butler’s/ Spotted Mulga or Yellow Bellied Black Snake	WA	TIGER MULTI BROWN	3 Vials
Tropidechis carinatus Rough Scaled/ Clarence River Snake	QLD, NSW	TIGER MULTI BROWN	1 Vial
Hoplocephalus bungaroides Broadheaded Snake	NSW	TIGER MULTI BROWN	1 Vial
Hoplocephalus stephensii Stephen’s Banded Snake	NSW, QLD	TIGER MULTI BROWN	1 Vial
Hoplocephalus bitorquatus Pale Headed Snake	NSW, QLD	TIGER MULTI BROWN	1 Vial

SERUM PRODUCTION

Summerland Serums snake antivenoms are prepared from hyper immunised horses and are standardised to a high antivenom titre to ensure a satisfactory clinical response. These horses have been selected as they possess a specific predisposition to the production of snake antivenom not only high in antitoxin titre units but also in prothrombin activator levels which have been shown to cause significant difficulties in the treatment of snakebite  ( Spivulis et al 1996; Tibbals et al 1992 ). High prothrombin levels are vital as it has been shown that unrelenting coagulopathy due to the slow reversal of the prothrombin activator presents the added risk of haemorrhage to the victim (Sutherland 1995). Summerland Serums antivenoms undergo both a chemical purification, and membrane filtration sterilisation process that is unique to these products in Australia. This process has a twofold effect of firstly concentrating the IgG component in the protein that carries the anti toxin units and the prothrombin activator, while secondly removing surplus albumin, alpha1, alpha2 , and some of the beta component thereby greatly reducing the chance of anaphylaxis and "serum sickness" which is an immune response to Ag-Ab complexes deposited on endothelial surfaces.