Dogs are curious critters and sometimes their curiosity can get them into trouble. There are some things that a dog can get into or encounter that will require an emergency visit to the vet. Among these things is an encounter with a venomous spider, in particular, a black widow or a brown recluse. Find out if your dog has been bitten by a spider with our 5 signs of a spider bite list below.
How Can You Be Sure?
- The short answer is that you can’t be 100% sure, unless you actually see the spider bite your dog.
- There is no test to confirm a spider bite, so vets normally end up treating symptoms.
- Before we discuss the signs of a venomous spider bite, we must say that many dogs tolerate spider bites with little or no adverse effect, while others suffer extreme reactions and need immediate medical intervention.
- The best thing you can do is watch your dog and use your best judgement.
5 Signs of a Spider Bite
Black Widow Bite
- According to PetMD.com, early signs of paralysis is a big marker of a black widow bite.
- Muscle pain in the back, chest and abdomen. This of course is hard to figure out, but if your dog is whining or vocalizing to an abnormal extent, they could be in pain.
- A dog that has been bitten by a black widow will also vomit and have diarrhea.
Brown Recluse
- Brown recluse bites cause local necrosis of skin tissue, meaning that the skin dies, leaving a painful lesion.
- A bulls eye-type scab and coloring is also a sign of a brown recluse bite.
Be it a spider bite, or another medical emergency your pet is facing, you don’t have to face it alone. Ironhorse Vetcare offers emergency vet services, 24/7. Call anytime.