Have You Noticed a Bite On Your Cat or Dog? This Guide Will Go Through Identifying Spider Bite, Tick Bites, & More On Your Dog, Cat, & Your Furry Fam!
Bug/Snake Bites on House Pets (Cats and Dogs)
As pet owners one of our biggest fears is our cats and dogs becoming seriously ill or getting gravely injured. This fear is increased when considering all the potential for small creatures like snakes and insects that can cause grievous damage to our house pets. These risks are very real for all pet owners whether you live in the cities of the East Coast, the rural counties in the Pacific NorthWest, and even desert cities such as Las Vegas. Bites from small creatures will generally show themselves with redness and swelling directly around the bite itself (keep an eye on your pet, they may nibble or lick the site of the bite), raised swelling that appears red (hives), swollen face,paws, joints or muzzle, and possibly even labored breathing and/or vomiting. It's important to always check dogs thoroughly after returning from outdoor excursions, even if just in your own backyard. If you happen to be a hipster with a hiking cat then also make sure that Snowball gets a bite/tick check and monitor them for a few days after for symptoms of a bite just like our K-9 owners should do. It's also important to note that your pet may also let you know they are not feeling well due to a bug bite by audibly crying or whimpering or even favoring one paw over the other/ limping.
Identifying a Tick Bite
Ticks, while not an instantaneously life threatening threat to dogs (and cool hiking hipster cats) pose a huge risk of spreading diseases and viruses, most notably lyme disease. Making sure to check the fur/skin of your entire pet is very important, you will be able to locate a tick still attached to the poor little guy or possibly find a fresh bite site. If you find a tick still latched on to Fido make sure not to pull it out by gripping the rear end. This may lead to the head coming separated from the body, allowing it then to slip into the flesh, which leaves your pet at a high risk for infection. There are tons of at home options a quick web search will provide to help with this process. If your dog or IPA loving cat does happen to become dinner for a tick it's important to keep an eye on it to help catch lyme disease. The bite site of a positive tick will present itself with redness resembling a bullseye. It may require some hair removal in order to determine its existence. In the time following the bite keep an eye on your pets health, sometimes it can take weeks for symptoms to present themselves. Often lyme disease presents with swollen lymph nodes, loss of appetite, fatigue, joint swelling, and lameness. It's important to seek veterinary help as soon as possible. There are treatment options that are highly effective, but if left untreated it is deadly.
Identifying a Spider Bite
Spider bites and pets are just as tricky as other insect bites on small furry creatures. Even if you don't take your tiny friend outside it's important to periodically check them for insect bites. These bites will show up as small bumps, most likely red. They will seem similar to mosquito bites on humans. Most often spider bites on pets like cats and dogs cause barely any irritation, and are easily dealt with by managing the pet itching. However some pets (smaller ones or those allergic) can react very negatively to spider bites, even from common household spiders like the wolf spider. Wolf spiders have been known to sometimes even kill smaller pets. If your dog was bitten by a spider and is having a poor reaction you may notice cramping, tremors, agitation, diarrhea, muscle cramping, and maybe vomiting. These can be signs of a venomous spider bite. Even if you don't think you live in an area known for dangerous spiders like the Brown Recluse or Black Widow, think again, these spiders have a much larger area of operation than we like to think due to human habitation. It's important to seek medical attention as soon as your dog or cat begins to show signs of illness as some cases are very life threatening.
Identifying a Snake Bite
Snakes are a little bit of a different story than insects like ticks and spiders. Generally they are easier to spot and less likely to be found in your living room (we said less likely, not impossible unfortunately, just ask Australia…..) and their bites are larger and would likely cause blood to be released making it easier to locate the injury. Luckily common snakes in most areas are harmless, yes they can bite but they wont send you to the hospital. Hopefully if your dog or naturalist cat gets bitten by a snake you are there to see it and able to determine if the offender is a species to be concerned over. If you are not present for the bite but notice your pet exhibiting any of the following, seek medical attention: Shaking or twitching, difficulty closing eyes, sudden weakness/ collapse, loss of bowel and bladder control, blood in urine, and paralysis. These are major indicators that your pet has been bitten by a venomous snake.
If you take your pet out into the wilderness it's important to always check them for injuries from small attackers. Unfortunately there isn't much Fortified Pest Management can do about threats in nature, but we CAN make sure your home and yard are as safe as possible from hard to spot threats to your pets and loved ones. By choosing Fortified Pest Management you are ensuring that not only will proper integrated pest management be applied to your home, it will be done using 100% American made products that are eco-conscious and recyclable. Fortified Pest Management is here to help. Remember, Fortified Pest Management is fully Licensed, Bonded and Insured. We are family owned, Pet Friendly and ALWAYS come with a 100% Money Back Guarantee. Whether you need a residential or professional estimate we are here to help. From Pigeons to Roof Rats, Spiders to Termites, Scorpions to Bed Bugs we will help you sleep better at night.
