A Dog’s Mystery Illness is Solved

VPI policyholder Amber Vogel from Pennsylvania feared the worst when she woke up and saw her dog Rocco, a 6-year old German shepherd and Labrador retriever mix. Overnight his face had become frozen and drooping. Rocco was also unable to blink and barely able to walk. Amber took Rocco to the veterinarian for a physical exam, but the veterinarian could find nothing wrong. Rocco was given steroids, antibiotics, and a referral to a neurological specialist in case his symptoms didn’t improve in a week. They didn’t.

As the week went on, Both sides of Rocco’s mouth began to sag sharply and he drooled uncontrollably. When he tried to eat or drink, food and water would just fall out of his mouth. The Vogel’s took turns staying up with him around the clock to put drops in his eyes because he was unable to blink and keep them moist. They gave him water, hand fed him, helped him outside, and took turns sleeping in the living room with Rocco because he was terrified of the stairs. By the time they saw the specialist, the Vogel’s were worn out and worried about their beloved pet.

The neurologist gave the Vogel’s the bad news—Rocco had all the signs and symptoms of a brain tumor. There was nothing that could be done and Rocco probably wouldn’t live more than a few weeks. The Vogel’s were crushed and took Rocco home.

Then something strange happened—Rocco started showing signs of improvement. Although his mouth still sagged, he began to get some movement back in his face. Next he regained the ability to blink his left eye, then his right. After that his equilibrium started to improve. Rather than getting worse, Rocco was getting better!

It was around that time that the Vogel’s found a nest of large grass spiders in their backyard. Although considered mostly harmless, grass spiders will bite if threatened and their venom is similar to the more dangerous brown recluse spider. After some consulting it was concluded that Rocco was probably bitten in the face multiple times by the spiders, causing all of his symptoms.

As time passed Rocco returned to his pre-bite self and today shows no signs of his two-month long ordeal. The Vogels are now extremely vigilant in keeping their yard free from possible dangers and use pet-safe pesticides. When Amber took Rocco back in for his regular shots, the veterinarians were shocked to see he had recovered.

What may surprise some people about Rocco’s story is that the Vogel’s don’t live in the country or in a rural area, they live in Pittsburgh. While city dwellers may not expect to have to treat their pet for spider bites, it does happen. In fact, so far this year VPI has received more than 1,200 claims for insect stings and spider bites. These claims have come from all over the country, from policyholders in both rural areas and urban areas. Fortunately, the Vogels had the foresight to purchase a pet insurance policy to help defray the costs unexpected pet expenses like treatment for a spider bite, otter bite, or javelina bite.

If your pet is bitten or stung, apply a cold pack to the area to reduce the swelling. Most spider bites and bee stings occur on the face or paws of the pet and can cause discomfort, itching, and swelling. Like humans, pets can have allergic reactions to being bitten or stung. If your pet has any trouble breathing or experiences excessive swelling, take it to your veterinarian immediately. If your pet is bitten by a spider, it is also best to try and identify the type of spider to help your veterinarian treat the bite, if necessary. To prevent bites it is a good idea to keep the area where your pet sleeps free of spiders and to clear your yard of potential spider habitats such as wood piles.