A SPIDER, a gross disgusting SPIDER, bit my baby. They found 2 tiny spots on his back down near his butt this morning which the vet concluded was a spider bite. The minute he told me this it made total sense. Yesterday at dinner time my kids called me out on the front porch to see this spider they found. It was shiny black and made my skin crawl. as Jason went to kill it, it snuck between 2 of the floor boards (2x4's) If our porch wasn't enclosed at the bottom edge of it by lattice I would have made him find it. But honestly living out in the country and by lowland swampy state wildlife areas we see a LOT of spiders, but I had never seen this type before and it gave my the chills. We even had a banana spider that lived on the back corner of our small barn roof for almost a year. We never bothered it as the webs it spun were beautiful to see and the kids were never in that area of our property. But anyways Koda and Kammie were out front right beside the front porch on their tieouts last night while we did yard work. Koda barks really high pitched a lot outside cause hes messing around with the kittens so we are assuming that is when he got bit, but we never could tell a difference because he always does. Hope that made sense, lol! The tiny little puncture wounds have no swelling or redness what so ever so they can rule out a brown recluse as there venom destroys all the flesh, muscle and tissue around the entrance. We are thinking the spider we saw and with all his symptoms it was a black widow (shudder). The black widow spider produces a protein venom that affects the victim’s nervous system. Our vet said it is common for the victims of spider bites including the black widow can take up to 8 hours to see any problems. And the main symptoms are muscle rigidity especially in the abdomen and in dogs thus causing the stiff straight legs (Koda's body was VERY stiff and tight feeling and legs were stiff) Facial swelling (Koda's eyes seemed like he couldn't open them and remember how I said his face looked "sick"
) nausea/vomiting (He vomited 7 or 8 times about an hour before his symptoms began) difficulty in breathing (his heart rate was extremely fast and he had been doing what seemed like reverse sneezing but vet said it was most likely wheezing, those were the first signs) muscle spasms (his lower body trembling) weakness/dizziness (why he couldn't walk)
So now I have been flipping out all night everytime the fan hits me or a stray strand of hair touches my neck thinking it's a spider
YUCK, it makes my heart race to even think about one of those things being in my home and near my kids and even getting Koda again or Kammie. Today was such a messed up day that we were not able to get any insecticide to spray, but we will this weekend because the kids are going to g-mas and were taking the furbutts to a friends house and will be staying with them for a day and a half (previously planned) so then we can spray a decent amount and no one will be here around the chemicals.
Oh my I didn't mention, Koda will be coming home tomorrow morning!!
The vet wanted to keep him so he can run more bloodwork this evening and do a skin scraping to test and make sure the venom level is out or considerably lower before sending him home as he didn't have an antivenin. I felt so terribly bad today going and seeing him and having to leave him. He was so happy to see me and then I broke his heart when I left. I could hear him crying all the way to the front door
which then totally broke my heart. I just sat in my car and cried for 10 minutes. The vet assistant had seen me out an exam room window and came out to my car and told me I could come back in and be with him in the visiting room as long as I needed to be. But I had to decline knowing I would only break his heart again when I left and I would be sitting in my car crying again. I have had a horrible headache all day from literally crying for hours last night/early morning and so many times today that this is the first time I could bear looking at the computer.
I called back in right before closing and my boy is acting completely fine.
and his IV is out and he's eating/drinking/peeing/pooping/playing just like he should!
I am so relieved, I really thought last night like my world was coming down around me. Koda was sick, I couldn't get a hold of Jason, I had no car, I felt so helpless. It was just horrible. Please, everyone needs to have a plan for an emergency. You don't want to end up in the position I did. I would never have forgiven myself if Koda hadn't made it due to my own negligence of not being prepared. It seems like bad things happen at night around here. Kammie digested the Xylitol around midnight on a weekend. My vet is probably going to run if he sees my # come up again while he's sleeping, lol!
I want to thank each and every one of you for your compassion and prayers.
When I saw the amount of replies and views and read all of your words I
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betcha can't guess
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started crying again
The overpouring amount of love for our furry friends here on YT is amazing! You all are such wonderful people and I thank you from my heart for your continued concern. I will try and promise that there will be no more bad events for me for a long time, and I can go back to showing my love and concern for all of your babies again!
