Anaphylactic reaction to a spider (Chaetopelma aegyptiaca) bite in a dog

Chaetopelma aegyptiaca is the largest spider native to Israel. Although it belongs to a highly poisonous spider family, the Israeli subspecies is not venomous but its bite has been reported as extremely painful by people. Its toxicity to dogs is unknown; however several fatal canine cases were reported in association with spider bites of the same family. A one-year-old, intact, male toy-terrier presented with chief complaints of excitement, vomiting, tremor, diarrhea and hypersalivation that appeared shortly and acutely after it had been bitten by Chaetopelma aegyptiaca. Anaphylactic shock was tentatively diagnosed based on the history and clinical signs. The dog was immediately treated with oxygen, intravenous crystalloids, diphenhydramine and ampicillin. Initial improvement was observed within one hour. The present favorable response to therapy suggests that anaphylactic shock due to C. aegyptiaca bite can be treated successfully without using epinephrine.