Dogs much like little children are curious generally and with small creatures too.
They may end up putting these creatures in their mouth and you are left to figure out if they are poisonous or not.
And sometimes these creatures are spiders, or to be specific, a household pest called Daddy Long Legs.
Should you be worried about their presence in your home?
Are they poisonous to your dog?
What Is A Daddy Long Legs?
Daddy Long Legs are long small insects with long spindly legs.
But many people call different insects this moniker because they all fill this description and vaguely look alike.
There are three insects (one of them not even a spider) that are called daddy long legs: Cellar Spider, Harvestman Arachnid, and the Crane Fly.
1. Cellar Spider (Pholcus Phalangioides)
It is a small grey spider with long thread-like legs.
They like to live in dark areas and feed on insects and other spiders.
It has a small mouth and strong fangs but would struggle to puncture the skin of a human or even a dog; it has some venom but it is not potent enough to cause any harm.
While it can hunt and kill other spiders for sustenance it is by no means a dangerous insect.
3. Harvestman Arachnid (Opiliones)
This is not a true spider though an arachnid but more of a mite.
It has one unsegmented body while spiders have two segments.
It has only two eyes to a spider’s eight and no silk or venom glands.
They have small claws but are also harmless with no venom.
3. Crane Fly (Tipulidae)
They look more like mosquitoes with long legs but have wings so can fly.
Crane Fly do not bite or sting; they cannot hurt other insects much less dogs or humans.
They are attracted to light and drink nectar from plants and are also harmless.
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Are Any of Them Poisonous to Dogs?
None of these which can be identified as Daddy Long Legs are poisonous or even harmful to dogs.
They may be a nuisance in your home, and dogs may be curious about them but they cannot do much to them.
So even if you see them being ingested by your pet, do not fear, nothing is going to happen.
How to Get Rid of Daddy Long Legs?
You can trap these insects in your home to ensure they do not have a chance to populate.
- Clean your house often to discourage them from setting up nests and laying eggs.
- Seal cracks and crevices so they have no entry point into your house.
- If they have a nest already and you would need an exterminator to rid your home of them.
Your Dog Still Has A Spider Bite, What To Do?
If you found a spider bite on your dog and suspected a Daddy Long Legs spider, you may be out of luck because they are not the cause of your dog feeling poorly.
If you find a spider bite and your dog is reacting, here are signs to look out for that your dog has been given a venom:
- Cramping
- Skin Blister on site of the bite
- Muscle pain
- Stomach Pain
- Tremors
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Agitation
- Quick on-set paralysis
These symptoms are for the two most common venomous poisonous spiders that could bite your dog: the Black Widow and the Brown Recluse.
If any of these symptoms occur, you would need to contact your veterinarian immediately; and maybe catch the spider for identification if you can.
If you cannot find the spider and it is nonvenomous, the bite area would be the only injury your dog would face and that can easily be treated.
Thoughts
If you see a Daddy Long Legs there no need to fear for your dog’s safety but if you don’t want it to be part of your dog’s diet you can get rid of it and the possibility of its family making a reappearance.
