Dog Health: Spider Bite Treatment

So, we now knew that Lilly suffered a spider bite and ensuing infection. But, we’ll never know what kind of spider or where or how it happened, but she needed treatment and fast.

Again, if you are sensitive at all, fair warning … what unfolds next isn’t particularly gross, but it is upsetting if you understand the potential outcomes of a fearful dog going through something both painful and scary.

You can catch up via Dog Spider Bite Part 1, Dog Spider Bite Part 2, and Dog Spider Bite Part 3 of our latest veterinary emergency saga.

Dog Spider Bite Treatment

Once our veterinarian cleaned the spider bite surface with alcohol and drained the fluid, Lilly needed treatment and fast. That meant both massive antibiotics and massive steroids by injection to kick-start her recovery.

We’d, then, follow-up with at-home meds — both antibiotics and steroids — for a week.

It also probably helped — or least didn’t hurt — that I’d dosed Lilly with benadryl in anticipation of preventing a vaccine reaction for the lepto vaccine we had planned for this routine wellness exam that turned into anything but.

“Hold on to her, talk to her,” my veterinarian instructed. “This is going to sting.”

Now, I’ve held Lilly for many other kinds of injections over the years, but I was NOT prepared for her response to this one.

Suffice it to say, I did not hold on TIGHT ENOUGH.

As soon as the veterinarian began to “push” the injection into Lilly’s back, Lilly screamed.

I mean, yipe … Yipe … YIPE. YIPE, YIPE … screams that went on and on.

This is a dog who has survived TWO painful rattlesnake bites to the face without a whimper.

Lilly whipped her head around and came as close to biting as I’ve ever seen. Clearly, I should have had a better hold. (Note to self and others … these kinds of shots HURT. Hold on tight.)

Her head otter sleek, with ears pinned entirely back. Her lips, long and thin, stretched back into a grimace, and she chattered her teeth at our veterinarian. I’ve seen a few dogs do this before, and I’m not sure … but it looks almost like they’re saying, “I want to bite, but I know I shouldn’t, so I’m just going to click my teeth at you.”

As soon as all the meds were in, Lilly broke loose, flung herself to the floor, and tried to lick and/or soothe the spot on her back. She literally writhed on the floor.

For you Harry Potter fans, it felt like watching the Cruciatus Curse. Not good.

I’m sure I looked both shocked and panicked at Lilly’s reaction. “Is she going to be OK?” I asked.

“It’ll hurt for about 10 minutes, then she’ll be OK,” our veterinarian assured.

So, while she gave me going-home instructions, I did my best to comfort and console Lilly. Our spider-bite-watch rules included:

• Start pills the next morning because the injection would cover her needs until then.


• If she seems in distress at all overnight (poor breathing, lethargy, vomiting, etc.), take her to the veterinary ER.


• If she seems worse the next day (lethargy, not eating, increased swelling), call and bring her back in so that they can do surgery to clean out the infection and put in a drain right away.


• Otherwise, bring her back Wednesday for a recheck, and if the vets don’t like what they see, then surgery. So, don’t feed her breakfast Wednesday, just in case.

As a safety measure, our veterinarian asked another one to come in the exam room and feel Lilly’s lump so that he knew what was what and would be able to assess her for us if necessary the next day.

He helped us with Lilly’s second rattlesnake bite, so we’ve met before. We joked a little about how I thought at first this was another snake bite and how that would have been the last doggone straw for me. He teased that she’s clearly moved on to other biting creatures.

(Flies also find Lilly rather inviting … that story here … Lilly, The Larva Rancher.)

“I hope NOT to see you tomorrow,” I told him.

I ran Lilly out to my car, where she could relax, while I paid our bill and got her at-home medicines.

I called Tom from the parking lot. “You’re not going to believe this…” I began.

Lilly and I had promised to get some spicy, gooey Mexican takeout on the way home, so we upheld the bargain.

Once home, she had dinner … as did I, before updating our fans and friends online, then falling onto the sofa.

***

We’ll continue this tale tomorrow with the debate over surgery.

Spider bite in dogs and cats

Spider release venom during the time of biting. Spider are of two types- black window spider and brown spider. An adult black widow spider has a body of about 1/2 inch long. Black widows have hourglass-shaped mark on their abdomens and releases neurotoxic venom’s which are 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake’s. An adult brown spider has a body of about 1/4 to 3/4 inch long. Brown spider has dark violin shape located on the top of the leg attachment region with the neck of the violin pointing backward toward the abdomen. The brown recluse has 6 eyes arranged in pairs – one pair in front and a pair on either side and releases haemotoxic venom’s .

What are the signs and symptoms of spider bite?

Signs and symptoms of black window spider- Redness and swelling at the site of bite and necrosis and sloughing of skin. The signs and symptoms of black window spider bites in dogs and cats are as follows-
(a) Sensory loss followed by increased sensitivity to stimulation
(b ) Rigid muscle
(c) Extreme muscle pain
(d) muscle cramp of the chest, abdomen, back, and other large muscles
(e) Abdominal rigidity without tenderness
(f) Rigid muscles followed by muscle paralysis
In extreme cases, death occurs because of respiratory collapse due to cramping of the muscles of abdomen or cardiovascular collapse.

Signs and symptoms of brown spider bite- There is increase in body temperature, weakness, joint pain, vomiting, seizures and swelling in the bite area.. The bites from brown spider are not very painful at the beginning. Initially there is small blister and this lesion becomes large with a central dark area and area around the necrotic tissue begins to weep. Sloughing of necrotic tissue takes place and leave a big hole in the affected part. Skin healing takes place but takes a long time and the scar is permanently.
How to treat spider bite in dogs and cats?
Treatment of black window spider bite-

Do not use tourniquet as it causes harms the circulation. The following treatment must be done.
(a) Ice pad application over the affected part
(b) Pure aloe vera to reduce the inflammation, and reduce the pain
(c) 1 mg. of Benadryl per pound of body weight to reduce inflammation and itching
(d) Calcium gluconate 10% at a dose of 5-10 ml i/v
(e) Anti convulsive drugs like diazepam
(d) Antivenin can be given.
Treatment of brown spider in dogs and cats-

Clean and wash the bite area with povidone iodine, hydrogen peroxide or chlorhexidine. As the venom is present in the site of bite, do not use tourniquet. The following treatment must be done.
(a) Ice pad application over the affected part
(b) Corticosteroid to reduce inflammation
(c) Antibiotic to prevent secondary bacterial infections
Dogs and cats recover from brown spider bite with proper treatment but it take weeks to recover fully.
How to prevent and control spider bites in dogs and cats?
(a) Do not allow dogs and cats to have contact with the spiders
(b) Remove spiders, webs, and eggs from inside the house using vacuum cleaner
(c) Close openings to avoid spider enter into the house
(d) Use pesticides with caution to kill the spider.