Let me mention out the outset that I am not a veterinarian. This article is just to give you some basic information, and a point of reference to start your own research. For serious stings or symptoms, I ALWAYS take my animals to a vet. Every animal reacts differently to every situation. You know your animal best, and your judgment is what counts for your pets. I have identified most of these creatures with their scientific names, these are helpful to use when searching on the internet for more infomation and pictures. This will help you and your vet in the process of trying to identify the "stinger".

When possible, try to capture the offending creature and take it with you to your vet. This could help a great deal. Remember also, that the smaller your pet, the more serious the sting may be. A sting that might only be an "inconvenience" for a St. Bernard might be fatal in a Yorkie.

• Brown Recluse
  The Brown Recluse is found primarily in the central part of the United States. From Iowa down to the Gulf, and from Kansas to the Western parts of the Atlantic states. However, this is a spider that has real "legs". Because they like to hide in cardboard boxes, or other containers, they have been moved all around North America. It would not be impossible to find a local population in just about any part of the country or Canada. Not likely, but possible. The Recluse is a small brown spider, with no really visible hair. While the abdomen can be without markings, the thorax (the head part where all the legs attach) has a marking that looks a lot like a violin. Hence the sometimes name of Fiddleback spider.
  
  Brown Recluse hunt at night and tend to stay hidden during the day. They don't spin a web and stay in it, they go looking for prey. People and pets normally get bitten when we lay down on one hiding in our bed, or put on clothes they are hiding in. I had a good friend get bitten while doing yard work. She had disturbed some hiding in leaves and they crawled up her pants leg. When she reached down to scratch it, she crushed it against her leg and got bit. Cats or dogs can try to play with one, or perhaps lay down on one in their bed. The spiders don't go out of their way to bite us, we have to help in some way.
  
  A bite by a Brown Recluse is a nasty thing. They have a necrotizing venom that causes flesh to die and fall off. There may be no localized symptoms until about 6-8 hours after the actual bite. At that point, the bite site will be surrounded by a reddish rash. There will also likely be a pimple or pustule right at the point of the bite itself.. Things go downhill from here.
  
  Within a day or so, there could be more systemic effects, like weakness, nausea, chills, fever. Gradually, the flesh around the site will die and come off. This can be an area as large as 10 inches or more!. This area is also very prone to secondary infections that can seriously complicate things. It's important to get your pet to the vet as soon as possible. Early treatment is important to save you and your pet from what can be an agonizing ordeal. This can be fatal if not treated, particularly if secondary infection sets in.
  
  You can try to alleviate some of the early symptoms with ice, or cold compresses. This may help some of the discomfort at the bite site. Remember to be very careful not to put ice directly on the skin, as frostbite is a possibility, and that would only make the situation worse;
  
  
  
• Black Widow
  The Black Widow spider has a name and an appearance that sends chills into many folks. This shiny black spider with a red patch under the abdomen is a spider of legend. There are good reasons to fear this little lady. She has a very powerful nuerotoxin in her venom. Black Widow bites in humans are rarely fatal, except to the very young or the very old. They are, however, considered one of the more painful experiences a human can have and still survive. People have been know to require counseling afterwards because the pain was so bad. The good news is that there is an antivenin that can alleviate most of the symptoms. Black Widows are found primarily in the South and Southwestern parts of the United States. It is also a spider that can travel with humans, so it is possible to find them practically anywhere in North America, just not commonly.
  
  They are a shy spider that normally builds a web in some out of the way place. They used to be commonly found under outhouses. Until the advent of indoor plumbing in the 1930's and 40's, over 75% of Black Widow bites were to male genitalia! Ouch! Nowadays, they can be found in old barns, crawl spaces under houses, old woodpiles, etc. Anywhere they are protected from the weather, and have access to prey items (flies, moths, roaches, etc.).
  
  Symptoms of a Black Widow bite are pretty alarming. There may be immediate moderate to severe pain at and around the bite site. The venom acts to randomly fire nerves that control muscles. This can be seen sometimes as tremors, muscle rigidity, and spasms. As the venom progresses, other more serious symptoms can appear such as paralysis and difficulty breathing. This is a serious bite that can kill your pet. Getting them to a vet quickly is very important.

Bees and Wasps
Bites like I have described, are pretty rare. More likely, a dog or a cat will get stung by a bee or wasp. This can cause localized pain and swelling, but most animals are in no real danger from one or two of these types of stings. Check out the bite site for the presence of a a stinger. Honeybees leave them and this stinger will continue to inject venom for a while after the bee is dead. If you find one, scrape it out with a fingernail, Do not try to extract it by pulling it out with your fingers or tweezers. This will only succeed in injecting the rest of the venom into the animal. A cool compress can help with the short term pain. You might also try sprinkling on a meat tenderizer that contains the enzyme "Papase". It is theorized that this enzyme will help break down the venom more quickly. I have never tried it, but if you happen to have some on hand, it probably won't hurt.


Scorpions
In the South and Southwest, we have a few species of scorpions, only one of which is considered "medically significant", Scorpions are almost all nocturnal, so mot bites will occur at night. Treat scorpion stings like wasp or bee stings. The venom in a scorpion sting is a powerful digestive enzyme. This can be a very painful sting, but are most are not considered life threatening. A good indicator of a scorpion sting in dogs is that they will usually give a good yelp and then lick aggressively at the site.

Bark Scorpion
The Bark Scorpion (Centruroides exilicauda) is the exception to this. This particular type of scorpion is found only in the Southwest part of the country. Their venom includes a nuerotoxic component that can be serious (though rarely fatal) in humans. Some of the signs to look out for with this type of sting could be excess drooling and tear production. Your animal may also lose control of bowel or bladder functions and the eyes may be very dilated. As the venom progresses you may see muscle spasms, respiratory difficulty and unconsciousness. Needless to say, this can be fatal.

Centipedes
The last sting I'm going to mention is that of the centipede. Most centipedes in the US get no larger than two or three inches. They have a venom similar to scorpion venom both in its content, and in it's effect. It can be a very painful sting.

• Scolopendra heros
  In the desert Southwest part of the US, including Texas there is a large species Sometimes called the Giant Desert Centipede, or the Texas Centipede (Scolopendra heros). This bad boy can get up to eight inches long. I know a professional herpetologist who was stung by one of these. They related to me that it was FAR more painful than the Copperhead bite he had gotten a few years earlier. Most accounts put a sting from one of the larger species of centipedes right at the upper level of pain that a human can endure. Expect a similar strong reaction from your pet. I have spoken with several vets, but none have given me examples of pets dying of a centipede sting. However all believe that it is possible. Like any health emergency, you have to use your judgment on this. I would probably take mine in just for pain relief, even if the sting itself wasn't life threatening. But it's your call.

I hope I haven't made you too apprehensive about bugs; it's actually very rare for a pet to die from an invertebrate sting or bite. In fact, most pet owners will never have to deal their animals getting bitten or stung by a venomous invertebrate. If it does happen, stay calm, take a deep breath and look around. If you seem calm and confident, that'll go a long way towards helping towards helping your four footed friend deal with it too. Note the circumstances, the place, the time, and capture the stinging creature (alive if possible). That way your vet isn't going to have to guess anymore than is necessary.

Hopefully, one day, you'll just remember the whole incident as a "bump in the road" of pet ownership.

© Mygala, 2005