A case of conservative treatment for Philodryas baroni (Baron’s Green Racer) bite in a pet animal

Abstract

As the number of exotic snakes kept as pets increases, snakebites are occurring frequently. We report a case of marked local symptoms caused by the bite of a Philodryas baroni. A 23-year-old woman was bitten on her right little finger for 5 min by a Philodryas baroni, which she kept as her pet. She visited the emergency department 2 h after the injury. Swelling extending to the upper arm and pain and hypoesthesia in the right little finger were noted. Although blisters appeared on the little finger and the swelling worsened on the second day of hospitalization, she was discharged on the fourth day without any complications.

Philodryas baroni is a venomous rear-fanged snake. When the bite is prolonged, massive local symptoms may manifest. Therefore, emergency physicians need to be familiar with the management of bites from venomous snakes kept as pets.