My dog was bitten by a tarantula. What safe home remedies can I use?

Ouch. The area does look quite swollen and possibly already infected. Depending on the spider that bit Rocco, he may need antibiotics, steroids and antihistamines to prevent the skin from being necrotic (dying off) and systemic bacteria (bacteria floating in the bloodstream which can be life threatening) from developing. i would suggest cleaning it with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water for tonight if a vet visit is just absolutely not possible. This will help provide some topical antiseptic cleansing of the wound. Take special care not to get any of this in his eyes. Then getting Rocco seen by a vet first thing in the morning to get this area looked at and treated appropriately. However if a vet visit tonight is possible, then getting him seen right away is best, before it gets any worse. I hope everything works out well for your pet Rocco. Best wishes and take care.

I'm glad Charlie is eating and otherwise fine. I recommend using a hot compress on the draining area and the smaller bite, and it's ok to use over his eye also to remove the discharge. That will keep it clean and draining and will bring in the blood supply to help the area heal faster. Continue the antibiotics as directed and you can apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on the open area, not too close to the eye though. That will protect it from dirt and further infection. Spider bites can take a long time to heal. Having clear to slightly bloody drainage is normal and nothing to be overly concerned about. Should the wounds look worse or if Charlie stops eating then I would certainly run him in for a recheck exam. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Charlie.

You can spray the antibiotic spray on it in the meantime but as it is getting worse he will need to have oral antibiotic prescribe ASAP, the area should also be shaved to make it cleaner and less prone to get reinfected.

It does need medical attention and it very well may be a spider bite or an abscess. You can try to flush the wound and clean it with water and mild soap and apply neosporin to keep it from getting worse until you can get it seen by a vet for stronger medicine

The brown recluse spider can produce extremely serious clinical signs shortly after envenomation. These usually include vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding disorders, organ failure, and death. Without life saving measures, typically dogs do not survive. Since this occurred two weeks ago, it is highly improbably that this was the cause of Buddy's recent skin issues. From the picture above, it actually looks like a skin tag but your description is very different. As long as it is not oozing or being a bother (and appears to be healing slowly), Buddy may be on the up and up. The veterinarian can certain perform diagnostic testing of the lesion in order to identify the cause and type of problem if this is something you are interested in pursuing. However, I am not sure that this is really necessary at this time. If the areas starts to become infected, stops getting better, or becomes later, I would definitely recommend a visit to the vet some time soon.

You can try an ice pack to see if that helps with the swelling, but ultimately Sparklers needs to see a vet. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/

Poor Diesel! Benedryl may not be enough since he is showing more severe symptoms. It's also possible the vomiting and diarrhea is unrelated to a spider bite but that's hard to say without an exam. Sometimes these pets will need steroids in addition to an antihistamine. I recommend to call your veterinarian. They may want to have Diesel examined by the veterinarian who can provide appropriate medication for an allergic reaction and also for the vomiting and diarrhea. They may also instruct you further about antihistamines (pharmacy law prohibits online veterinarians from discussing human medication usage in pets). It's best to play it safe. I hope this helps and that he starts to feel better soon! Please feel free to post any additional questions.