How to Treat a Pet's Spider Bite

If your pet has been bitten by a spider, it's important to give your pet the care necessary for treating the bite. A great majority of spider bites are harmless to pets, but you should take any bite seriously, especially if you suspect it to be from a brown recluse or black widow. Here are some steps to follow when your dog or cat is bitten by a spider:

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Take your pet to the vet as soon as possible. You may not notice the bite for several hours after it has happened, so act quickly when you do notice it.

2. Follow any care instructions that your vet gives you for treating the bite. For a brown recluse bite, this will mean washing out the wound regularly to prevent infection. You may be given antibiotics or other medication to administer to your pet as well.

3. Prevent your pet from moving too much. Movement will enable the venom to circulate more quickly throughout the blood stream, something you want to avoid. Also, keep the site of the bite lower than the heart for this same reason. This is especially important with the potentially deadly black widow bite.

4. Wash out the site of the bite with soap and water then apply an ice pack to reduce any swelling.

5. Treat your pet with antivenin when possible (administered by a vet) if the bite came from a black widow.

6. Apply an over-the-counter pet bug bite remedy to less severe spider bites. If there is a possibility that the bite was from a brown recluse or black widow, though, take your pet to the vet before trying this approach.

Tips & Warnings

• Black widow bites are potentially deadly, and brown recluse bites can cause enormous, infected lesions if left untreated. Therefore, it's important to seek veterinary care as soon as you suspect a bite from one of these spiders.