Horses

Horses are highly susceptible to snake venom. As with cats and dogs, signs of envenomation vary enormously. Common signs include muscle tremors, enlarged pupils, breathing difficulties, sweating and salivation. The hind limb become weak first followed by the front legs then the neck. Horses can become paralysed in 6-18 hours and, untreated, death from respiratory failure can occur shortly thereafter. Foals bitten by a brown snake may move slowly with a goose stepping type of leg action and take frequent rests when suckling. After the tongue becomes paralysed, milk is not swallowed but runs back out of the foal's nose when the head is lowered. Death follows a period of paralysis, recumbency and laboured breathing.

A number of well known horses such as Australasian Oaks-winning mare Marju Snip and Gracie Wilkes have died from snake bites.

General information about snake bites can be found on the Snakes page.

Bee Stings

Horses can suffer from bee stings (see picture). More information is provided on the Bee Sting page.