Nala is limping and Alex saw her near a spider. We are in Big Bear, CA. We killed the spider and we don't think its a poisonous spider-it appears to be a house spider- but we are debating whether to rush her to the closest vet, 1.5 hours away.
No symptoms besides limping, no lump.
Anyone familiar with symptoms of spider bites in dogs, when they manifest, or comfortable looking at this spider and confirming it is not poisonous?
It's definitely not a black widow and probably not a brown recluse. My brother is pretty good at identifying spiders and he says it is a house spider not a brown recluse. It is slightly hairy. And there are no brown recluses in California. Desert recluses but . . . We are in the forest. Not desert.
My dog was bitten by a spider and his face swelled. He then started throwing up and he was rushed to the ER vet where they admitted him for the night to keep him on an IV. Unless she is swollen or showing any signs of sickness, I wouldn't rush her to the vet. I would give her benedryl and keep a very close eye on her. Sadly, I don't listen to my own advice and would take her to the vet but I am a spaz when it comes to my dog.
I am a total spaz too, but the closest vet is an hour and a half away and they were assholes over the phone. She is otherwise fine and just jumped on her rear leg to beg for a greenie. No swelling.
Post by aussiecrush on Sept 20, 2014 22:19:20 GMT -5
I'd try to get her to lay low, easier said than done I know. While the spider is scary it's much more likely she jumped wrong, stepped on a stone or something like that. Without swelling or a bite I'd watch her for a bit before giving meds or driving to a vet you aren't sure you trust. Hope she's up and causing mischief soon.
Post by ralphlauren on Sept 20, 2014 22:21:21 GMT -5
I would wait and see how she is in the morning. I am a freak about my dogs and tend to over react usually. I would make sure she is estingn snd drinking and I would just observe her and if needed take her in the morning
Post by sofamonkey on Sept 20, 2014 22:29:29 GMT -5
Do you have any benadryl on hand?
If I get bit by brown house spiders, I get swelling in the area & pain, but am otherwise fine. I am wondering if the bite is just sore on your pup? Do you see the bite to know that for sure there was a bite? If you have a guess, I'd apply ice & wait it out for a bit.
Post by usuallylurking on Sept 20, 2014 22:30:02 GMT -5
Hobo spider? Wolf spider? Google image those and see if they look like what you saw. Sorry, the crumpled up dead spider just looks brown, large, and slightly hairy to me.
Yeah. DH smashed the spider before noticing limping.
Oh I definitely don't blame him. Did she start limping after laying down for a while? If so, I always tend to notice our dogs limping after overexertion *after* they've laid down for a bit and been resting. Rarely do they just start limping while playing unless it was an obvious injury. However, if all they've been doing is lazing about all day, I'd be more inclined to worry that it is a spider bite. As for if it's poisonous, I'm not sure. Maybe call your usual vet and ask if she could be poisoned over night/what they would advise?
Without knowing if she was bitten/what bit her, there's no way to say for sure. Without a lump, swelling or any other sign of a bite most vets would suggest an antihistamine and rest, then reevaluate in the morning. You know her best, does she seem off? *Not a vet, BFF is a vet tech and this was her advice to us in a similar incident.
I am a total spaz too, but the closest vet is an hour and a half away and they were assholes over the phone. She is otherwise fine and just jumped on her rear leg to beg for a greenie. No swelling.
Since she begged for a greenie and doesn't have swelling, I would be more comfortable not rushing her to the vet. My pup is only 15 pounds and when he was bit, you could tell he was really sick and wouldn't even eat a treat.
Guess where I am. On my way to the vet. With Nala on my lap, hyper and pissed she isn't in back playing with Nika. We already know it's a wasted trip but on that .01% chance there's something wrong . . Plus, there's no way I'll sleep tonight this scared. So. Here we go to be told she pulled something while hiking today and she's a healthy looking girl.
I probably would have given a benadryl and kept an eye on it, but I've talked to a vet over a lot stupider stuff. It's almost always unnecessary, but the peace of mind is worth a lot.