General pain and itching, combined with fatigue and dizziness, are the symptoms just as in humans. The two main types of spiders to watch out for are the black widow and brown recluse. Both of these spiders bite, and release venom when they do. Pets are commonly bitten by the black widow, a spider identified by their red hourglass-shaped marking, when they invade their nests. Although black widow bites are rarely fatal, smaller pets may have a more severe reaction, which can turn out to be fatal if not treated properly. Brown recluse spiders, which are recognized by the fiddle-shaped mark on their back, tend to hang out in dark, secluded areas and bite when they feel their space is invaded. Pets usually recover well from brown recluse bites, although a full recovery make take several weeks. Firstly, when bitten, keep your pet as calm and quiet as possible to slow down the venom from spreading. If the bite was on a limb, make sure to keep the limb lower than your pet's heart level. Give your pet 1 milligram of Benadryl for every pound of its body weight after checking with your vet to make sure this is suitable. This will help reduce swelling, inflammation and itching. Apply a cold or ice pack to the area to reduce swelling or, if you want, a bag of frozen vegetables. If you notice any unusual redness or swelling, or your pet has difficulty breathing or moving, get her to a vet or animal emergency clinic immediately. Most pets won't realize they were bitten by a brown recluse, but as an owner look for redness to appear after a while. For venomous bites, clean the wound with hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine or povidone iodine.
