Symptoms of a Spider Bite on an Italian Greyhound

The Italian greyhound is a small, slender dog. It weighs 6 to 10 pounds, so it is more susceptible to both poisonous and nonpoisonous spider bites than larger breeds. Its fur is short, so a spider bite should be relatively easy to locate and identify. A bite inflicted by some spiders, such as the brown recluse and the black widow, may require immediate veterinary attention.

  1. Swelling and Redness

    • Swelling and redness at the site of the bite are more easily recognized symptoms. The bite usually creates a small- to medium-sized lump at the site, and two small holes where the fangs of the spider penetrated may be visible to the naked eye. Of course, these symptoms alone do not necessarily indicate a spider bite. In fact, insect stings and bites can also look similar to a spider bite and also cause redness and swelling. Therefore, it is important to keep an eye on the dog to took for the emergence of additional symptoms.

    Localized Pain

    • The dog may experience localized pain around the bite site. Pain is indicated if the dog becomes uneasy or aggressive when you or a veterinarian is examining the bite site. The dog may also lick the area in an attempt to relieve the pain.

    Fever, Nausea

    • The dog can run a fever and become nauseous, especially if it has been bitten by a brown recluse. Nausea and fever usually occur within 2 to 6 hours following the bite. If you find a spider bite bite, and fever or nausea or both occur within this timeframe, take your dog to a veterinarian for immediate medical attention.

    Brown Recluse Bite

    • After fever and nausea, a blister will form at the site of a bite from a brown recluse. The blister forms about 12 hours after the bite occurs, and as time progresses, cell damage occurs around the area. Eventually, within 7 to 10 days of the bite, the site will develop a black center. A brown recluse bite is serious for an Italian greyhound, although it generally does not kill. Depending on the amount of venom injected, the dog may develop weakness, seizures, vomiting and kidney failure.

    Black Widow Bite

    • As with a brown recluse spider bite, a black widow bite is serious business and requires immediate veterinary attention. The difference is that while a brown recluse bite is usually painful and not pretty to look at; a black widow bite can easily kill an Italian greyhound. To differentiate between the two, look for fang marks -- a black widow's fangs can penetrate the skin and leave marks behind; whereas the brown recluse's fangs cannot. Symptoms of a bite from this spider include difficulty breathing, rigid muscles, muscle spasms or tremors and paralysis. Symptoms can begin appearing within minutes of a bite.