Airedale Terrier Eats Spider

Arizona Brown recluse spider

Normally that wouldn’t be too bad except it was a Arizona brown recluse spider!

Normally that wouldn’t be too bad except it was a Arizona brown recluse spider!

Airedale Terrier Eats Spider

Tova – A larger Airedale Terrier

Last week I noticed that are larger Airedale Terrier, Tova,  seem to be looking at something on the floor under our TV.  Upon closer examination, I noticed a good-sized spider right where she was looking.  I got it out with a broom and thought I had dispatched it, as it was laying on its back with its feet up.  While looking at it carefully, with Tova and Teddy standing next to me,  it  sure looked like an Arizona brown recluse spider.

Than, in a flash, it jumped up and snapped back to life and righted itself and started moving. 

It all happened so quick, that Annie jumped forward and ate it in one gulp!

Once this happened, I quickly went through the Internet to try to get an understanding of what happens if a dog eats one of these poisonous spiders. From very reputable sources, I got conflicting opinions, which ranged from rush your dog to  a veterinarian, to, don’t worry about it, as the dog’s stomach acids will neutralize the spider with no after effects.

Basically, what it came down to, is that a brown recluse spider is venomous and not poisonous. Had the spider bit Tova, it could have injected poison into her,  however, swallowing the spider, is not poisonous and therefore not harmful to the dog. 

Well, needless to say we kept a close eye on Tova that evening and for the following few days. . . just in case!

The bottom line here is perhaps we were very lucky,  as Tova did not exhibit any adverse reactions.  Should anything like this happen again, I’ll make sure to take the dogs in another room before dealing with the spider.  The photo here of the spider is the actual one that was in our house right before I moved it out with a broom.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Loxosceles reclusa (as with all of the Loxosceles genus) can deliver, through envenomation via uncate chelicerae-type fangs, a potentially dermonecrotic loxoscelism due to the presence of sphingomyelinase D toxin in its venom. Most bites are minor with no dermonecrosis. However, a small number of brown recluse bites do produce dermonecrotic loxoscelism; an even smaller number produce severe cutaneous (skin) or viscerocutaneous (systemic) symptoms. In one study of clinically diagnosed brown recluse bites, skin necrosis occurred 37% of the time, while systemic illness occurred 14% of the time. In these cases, the bites produced a range of symptoms common to many members of the genus Loxosceles known as loxoscelism, which may be cutaneous and viscerocutaneous. In very rare cases, bites can even cause hemolysis—the bursting of red blood cells.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

He is swift, formidable, graceful, big of brain, an ideal chum and guard. …. To his master he is an adoring pal. To marauders he is a destructive lightning bolt.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Our Airedale Terrier Youtube channel.

****