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My pet has a large spider bite, but I can't afford a vet. What now?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | unspayed | 3 years and 9 months old | 75 lbs

Sparkles has been bitten by a Brown Recluse spider. The bite is on the top of her head. It is now the size of a silver dollar. We can’t afford to pay for her to go to a vet. Is there anything we can do here.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on September 21st, 2019

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/

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    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    How do you know that is a spider bite? It is very uncommon for spiders to bite dogs. I'm not saying it's impossible but it does not look like a bite. Bites from spiders usually cause local death of the skin around the bite - so, the skin turns purple/black and then sloughs off. This does not look like that. At this point all you can do is treat it with some topical antibiotic ointment like Neosporin. If you treat it for about a 7-10 days and it is only minimal improved or it looks worse then she needs to see a vet. A simple infection from a spider bite or a localized skin infection should clear up easily in that time frame. If it doesn't, something else is going on.

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