Toxicity/reaction sheet (ie: MSDS)

[varanus dwarfus]

Has anyone created any sort of toxicity/reaction sheet (think MSDS) for their T's?

It might sound like a silly idea and I know we do have the bite reports section, but I was thinking of creating some sort of booklet for my personal collection. Information it would include is possible symptoms of the reaction, what to do in case of bite, and if any information can be found, how it affects other animals (ie: cat & dog). I think pretty much every species I keep (mostly brachs and other medically insignificant T's) could be put under one page with the same symptoms/medical advice (advil and wait it out). There would be a few outliers that could get their own page.

The reason I ask is that while I may personally know what to expect and what to do in case of bite (most species I have are not medically significant), I live with people that do not and I do not expect them to remember what to do in case of emergency (ie: earthquake knocks a container over and a P. Regalis gets loose).

On a side note - I've been keeping a single t approx 3 years and dozens of snakes and lizards for much longer with only two escapes. One escape was due to my sister forgetting a lid open and one was due to a crafty serpent in a temporary enclosure... I'm not too worried about escapes, I'm fairly anal about keeping my animals in escape proof caging, but a booklet like this couldn't hurt to have.

What are your thoughts?

 

[jayefbe]

The problem is that this would give the illusion that everyone reacts similarly to a particular tarantula's venom. Additionally, there are very few documented bite/toxicity reports for many species and no information on how a pet might react. It's just not possible and possibly reckless to make any definitive claims about tarantula toxicity.

For me, if it's a NW I wouldn't worry about it. If it's an OW, take some painkillers and benadryl (just as a precaution against allergic reactions) and be prepared to head to the hospital if a severe systemic reaction takes place.

 

[varanus dwarfus]

The problem is that this would give the illusion that everyone reacts similarly to a particular tarantula's venom. Additionally, there are very few documented bite/toxicity reports for many species and no information on how a pet might react. It's just not possible and possibly reckless to make any definitive claims about tarantula toxicity.

For me, if it's a NW I wouldn't worry about it. If it's an OW, take some painkillers and benadryl (just as a precaution against allergic reactions) and be prepared to head to the hospital if a severe systemic reaction takes place.

I agree with you. I'm not worried about any of my NW stuff and it'd basically be one sheet. I was thinking about the different reactions to the OW stuff like you mentioned (I've seen accounts in species where one person may have localized pain for a day, and another had a bump/pain for several weeks). I was thinking the sheet would give a broad list of symptoms and solutions.

Something like...

For any of the following take benadryl and painkillers:
Minor headache
localized pain and swelling

For any of the following, seek immediate medical attention:
Bleeding of the gums
etc etc

I think another area could list COMMON symptoms, ie:

Bites from this species are most commonly result in localized pain and swelling.

In regards to reaction to other animals... I also agree with you. I know there is at least one well known species of spider or tarantula that is medically insignificant to humans but extremely lethal to dogs (I can't remember which one off the top of my head).

Anyway, it was just a thought. I think the cover sheet could have a basic outline that covers all T's (in case of this symptom, do this unless it gets worse... in case of this symptom run to the hospital... etc).

 

[jayefbe]

yeah, I agree completely that it would be great if we had this information. Unfortunately for the higher toxicity species there are only a handful of bite reports so it is hard to discern how each individual may react to a bite.

Any pain that spreads beyond the site of the bite, difficulty breathing, and severe chest pains should lead to a hospital trip. For the most part though, the only way of dealing with a tarantula bite is to just ride it out. Even if in a hospital, there's nothing that can be done to combat the venom or even significantly reduce the pain.

 

[Teal]

Personally, my view on it is: You know the bite isn't going to kill you... so why does it matter?

Have some pain and anti-inflammatory medications on hand, and if you're known to have allergic reactions to things than be prepared for that too.

The majority of the states have native spiders that are a risk to humans, but I don't know many people with reaction sheets for them.

Maybe it's just because I grew up in the country with black widows and brown recluses in the sheds and barn, and rattlesnakes on the sidewalks.. that I'm not too concerned about Ts with no record of killing someone

 

[Xian]

Has anyone created any sort of toxicity/reaction sheet (think MSDS) for their T's?

The reason I ask is that while I may personally know what to expect and what to do in case of bite (most species I have are not medically significant), I live with people that do not and I do not expect them to remember what to do in case of emergency (ie: earthquake knocks a container over and a P. Regalis gets loose).

What are your thoughts?

I think that it sounds like a fine idea. Information is always a good thing. Having the MSDS on hand for any unfortunate accidents would be a good idea, just to calm down the unfamiliar person in the situation.

 

[varanus dwarfus]

I think that it sounds like a fine idea. Information is always a good thing. Having the MSDS on hand for any unfortunate accidents would be a good idea, just to calm down the unfamiliar person in the situation.

Xian, you pretty much hit the nail on the head. I PERSONALLY don't have any fear with them as I know what I'm in for and that I'll live to see the next day. This would be for people that are unfamiliar with T's. It could let them know what they are in for and possible remedies.

I think I'll create one for my own collection that will be pretty basic. First page will have a list of normal reactions for most people in cases of most bites. If there is space I'll have a place for "extreme reactions," and what to do there as well. Next page will have a photo of any species to be especially careful about (ie: pokies).

The main idea is... Avic Avic gets out, someone who is unfamiliar with the species gets nailed... Now they have a "cheat sheet" that basically says "don't worry, take some advil/benadryl and ride it out, won't last long" rather than having to google "black and blue pet tarantula bit me." I'm sure they would call me first anyway, but just in case I'm unavailable, something like this wouldn't be bad to have.

 

[nikinizor]

two thoughts....first was the bleeding gums supposed to be funny or is thta really something that has happened(without gingevitus)??

second ...it was stated that since you 'know' you aren't going to die why worry...I think we 'know' that there are no known deaths according to civilized western medical science, but there have been rumors amongst more rural and native peoples in SE asia of deaths from T's...there are bugs that are fatal in thier native land due to diet but in captivity are just an annoyance(whip scorpions of some sort if I remember correctly) maybe a wild caught T could be more serious and be cause to worry...just a thought.

 

[jayefbe]

two thoughts....first was the bleeding gums supposed to be funny or is thta really something that has happened(without gingevitus)??

second ...it was stated that since you 'know' you aren't going to die why worry...I think we 'know' that there are no known deaths according to civilized western medical science, but there have been rumors amongst more rural and native peoples in SE asia of deaths from T's...there are bugs that are fatal in thier native land due to diet but in captivity are just an annoyance(whip scorpions of some sort if I remember correctly) maybe a wild caught T could be more serious and be cause to worry...just a thought.

RobC mentioned it happening when he was bitten by a P. regalis.

About not worrying because they aren't lethal, that's being intentionally naive. I think a bite from a pokie/heteroscodra/stromatopelma in an unfortunate location could cause enough swelling to constrict the airways. I've read accounts of very large men having trouble breathing after a bite. I've read an unverified account of a young man in Europe entering a coma and needing multiple hospital stays after a subfusca bite. This doesn't even bring up the possibility of a young/elderly person or someone with a compromised immune system being bitten. While there are no documented cases of deaths directly attributed to tarantula venom, it is still a serious matter.

 

[varanus dwarfus]

I agree 100% with jay again. While it may not be lethal 99.9% of the time, it's still a serious matter. I think everyone I live with is pretty intelligent and would know when it's time to take a trip to the hospital. I still think it'd be wise to have a list of home remedies for the less serious bites.

 

[nikinizor]

...I wonder if a snakebite suction device would be a good idea to remove as much of the venom as soon as possible would be appropriate? I don't think it would be harmful to extract the venom as much as you could to make the bite less serious....it would definitely be less traumatic than tourniquets and such.... I really like the idea of benadryl(sp?) to be proactive against an allergic reaction..