re: I hate snakes (bit 2 of my dogs) update - vengeance

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said most ER's in that area kept anti-venom in stock.

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They do, or should. What they don't tell you is that more often than not that antivenom is expired, often many years past the expiration date. I don't know how many stories I've heard or read where people went to the ER with a snakebite and were given expired antivenom. Now, expired antivenom is certainly better than no antivenom, but they never know how degraded it may be, and they aren't going to discount the cost if it is expired and may not be as effective.

ETA: The majority of venom that is milked in the US, native or otherwise, doesn't go to antivenom production. It goes to pharmacological research facilities and labs. The research into the medicinal properties of snake venom is a booming field. There is such a demand that it has at times squeezed the supply of antivenom. There's big money in the snake venom business these days.