EMERGENCY

Question
Dear Doctor,
An hour ago my cat was bitten on the nose by a coral snake. I know snakes!  I don't think the snake had time or opportunity to chew.  However I did see a tiny puncture on cat's nose.  Also, a small tiny pea shaped swollen area.  I know this was wrong but I gave him a very small dose of liquid benadryl.  It was the closest thing I could think of to an antihistamine.  So far the cat has not exhibited any adverse symptoms.  I do have Sub Q fluids on hand - 0.9 Sodium Chloride.  Please help.  The cat weighs aprox 19 pounds.

Thank you,
Janet - a fellow pet expert

Answer
First of all Janet I am NOT a doctor. My profile clearly states that I am a vet tech. Secondly,
if my cat was bit by a venomous snake I would be calling my regular vet right away!

Having said that, if the cat shows no symptoms in an hour then he probably didn't get any venom, but these things can take hours to show up!

I don't live around coral snakes so we never see any but I would call your local vet and ask them what kind of symptoms to watch for other than swelling. The problem with the swelling is if it pushes on the cats nose and it cannot breathe.

Here is a forum on coral snakes and cats! (crude language)
http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=1128295

Apparently it takes about 12 hours for the venom to be effective, and being a neurotoxin will cause symptoms such as ataxia, disorientation, vomiting and death.
"Crucial Note: Even if local signs indicate mild signs or symptoms of a snake bite, it is important to note that some envenomizations may worsen in a matter of minutes, hours. Progression of symptoms can act extremely rapidly, necessitating immediate veterinary attention. Never waste time, immediate emergency veterinary treatment is critical for survival." -from http://www.cathelp-online.com/emergency/snakebite.php

But it takes a bit of foral snake venom to get into the cat to do that.

I would call the vet to err on the side of caution and have them alerted to the fact your cat has been bitten.

By the way, Benadyrl for cats is okay in very small doses.