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Cause
The common stable fly is the most common cause, however, blackflies, deer flies, and houseflies can also bite.

General Information
Fly bites cause a common condition in outside dogs, often called "fly strike." It most frequently occurs in dogs that live near farms with livestock, and occurs when flies land on and bite the tips and top surface of the dog's ears. They may also bite the bridge of the nose. They are biting the dog to obtain a blood meal and the bite is often painful. Because of the thin skin and hair on the ears and the inability of the dog to defend his ears, flies will seek out this location. Some of these dogs will endure hundreds of bites a day for weeks at a time. Anyone that has ever been bitten by a stable fly knows how painful the bite is. If you see blood spots or flies congregating near your dog's ears then you can assume fly bites are occurring. The bite wounds attract flies which may lay their eggs in the damaged tissue. These will later hatch into maggots.

Cats are much less likely to acquire fly bites.

Toxic Dose
Not applicable

Signs
The ears, especially at the margins, will have painful bumps, sometimes with scabs or bleeding.

Immediate Action
Whether you live in the city or country, do not underestimate the pain that these flies can inflict and be sure to initiate treatment at the first sign of fly bites on your pet. Gently cleanse the ear with warm water and a mild antiseptic soap. Then, apply a topical antibiotic ointment which will help to control any infection which may be present. If the fly bites are severe, or maggots are present, veterinary attention is needed.

The most important treatment for this problem is prevention, which consists of applying a topical insecticide to the dog's ears. Pyrethrin or permethrin sprays and ointments are very effective in repelling flies. Homemade solutions made by adding DEET or pyrethrin to petroleum jelly also work well. Moving the pet indoors during the heat of the day also will help. Spraying the dog's outside living quarters will also help keep fly numbers to a minimum. Remove any materials which may attract flies, e.g., fecal material, uneaten pet food, garbage, etc. Keep your pet clean and well-groomed, removing any urine-soaked or fecal-contaminated hair.

Veterinary Care
General treatment: If severe, the ear may be washed with a wound cleanser under sedation or anesthesia. The maggots, if any, will be removed, as will any dead or dying tissue.

Supportive treatment: None usually required, although a mild pain reliever may be prescribed. Rarely are systemic (oral or injectable) antibiotics necessary, unless the fly bites are severe.

Specific treatment: Unavailable

Prognosis
Good, unless maggot infestation is severe. The ear may be scarred and remain thickened.

Cause
Quills of the porcupine.

General Information
Porcupine quills can penetrate any area of an animal. They have backward-pointing barbs that hold them firmly in place and make them difficult to remove. If not removed promptly, quills can move further into the skin, even becoming buried in the skin.

Toxic Dose
Not applicable

Signs
Quills will be imbedded, usually in the mouth and front paws. The animal generally tries to paw at his face in an attempt to remove the quills, which are very painful. This only results in burying the quills deeper, and/or breaking them off, which makes them harder to remove.

Immediate Action
Stop the dog from pawing his face. If your pet escaped with only a few external (outside the mouth) quills, you may be able to remove them yourself. First restrain your pet, then, using hemostats or pliers, grab a quill as close to the skin as possible and steadily pull the quill out. Be sure to examine your pet's entire body feeling for hidden quills. Since they can range in length from one-half inch to four inches, they may not all be readily visible. If your pet has more than several quills, quills in the mouth, or one has broken off under the skin, seek veterinary attention immediately. It is absolutely necessary that all quills be removed.

Veterinary Care
General treatment: Your veterinarian may give your pet an anesthetic (especially for quills in the mouth or throat) to aid in removing the quills.

Supportive treatment: An antihistamine may be given to ward off an allergic skin reaction and swelling. A mild pain reliever may be prescribed.

Specific treatment: Not applicable

Prognosis
Good. However, if quills are not removed, they can travel through the body and cause injury to internal organs.

Toxin
Snake venom

Source
Most snake bites are from pit vipers, which are poisonous snakes that are identified by their triangular heads, retractable fangs, and a special heat-sensing pit between the eye and nostril. North American pit vipers include five subspecies of copperheads, three subspecies of water moccasins, three subspecies of pygmy rattlesnakes, three subspecies of massauga, and at least 26 subspecies of rattlesnakes. Water moccasins and copperheads are found in the eastern United States and southward through Texas. Rattlesnakes are found throughout the contiguous United States, with the highest concentration in the south and southwest.

General Information
Snake bites tend to occur on the pet's head or neck. Bites involving the trunk of the body have a poorer prognosis. Snake bites may affect one or more body systems including the cardiopulmonary system, the nervous system, or the coagulation system. Usually, if the snake is not poisonous or the venom was not injected, the pain, swelling, and bruising at the bite site will be minimal.

Toxic Dose
Varies. Envenomation does not always occur. The severity of envenomation is related to the time of the year, the volume of venom present in the snake, the location of the bite, the number of bites, and the amount of victim movement after the bite (movement increases the spread of the venom). The amount of venom is not related to the size of the snake. Systemic signs such as kidney damage may take 24-72 hours to develop in mild envenomations, so the animal should be observed closely for several days.

Signs
May see one, two, or several small puncture wounds, bleeding, bruising, immediate and extremely painful swelling at the site of the bite, and tissue necrosis. The more severe systemic signs may take up to several hours to appear and include hypotension and shock, lethargy and weakness, muscle tremors, nausea, vomiting, and neurological signs including depressed respiration.

Immediate Action
Identify the snake if possible. Restrict movement of the pet. Loosely immobilize the limb in a functional position if bitten on an extremity. DO NOT incise the bite wound to aspirate the venom and DO NOT apply a tourniquet without veterinary assistance. DO NOT apply ice to the area. Seek veterinary attention.

Veterinary Care
General treatment: The animal will be kept quiet and the bitten area immobilized if possible to decrease the spread of the venom. The area around the wound will be clipped and cleaned.

Supportive treatment: Antihistamines may be administered and IV fluids given to help prevent low blood pressure. Oxygen is given if needed. Antibiotics are used to prevent secondary infections. Pain medication is provided as necessary. Laboratory tests to check for bleeding problems and organ damage will be performed repeatedly. Blood transfusions may be necessary in cases of severe coagulopathies. The area above and below the bite wounds may be measured every 15 minutes to monitor the edema. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are contraindicated in the early phase (first 24 hours) of treatment because of the different types of venom and the anticoagulant effects of NSAIDs. The use of corticosteroids may be contraindicated also, as some research shows they increase the severity of the bite.

Specific treatment: Antivenin* may be administered. The use of antivenin is controversial and is used at the discretion of the attending veterinarian. To be most effective, antivenin should be given within 4 hours of the bite. It becomes less effective as more time passes.

All snake bite victims should be observed for a minimum of 12 hours, even when there are no clinical signs. If clinical signs are present, the length of observation is increased to 48-72 hours, as damage to organs may not appear immediately.

Prognosis
A study of animals bitten by pit vipers showed that those treated with antivenin, intravenous fluids, and antibiotics had a mortality rate less than 1% and local tissue damage was rare. The mortality rate in untreated patients depended on the species of snake involved. For example, in patients bitten by the Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes, the mortality rate was about 10%. In the much more dangerous Mojave rattlesnake, it could be as high as 35%.

*Two companies, Fort Dodge and Wyeth Ayerst Laboratories produce antivenin. Veterinary clinics and human hospitals in areas that have a high population of pit vipers have this product on hand. Many owners want to carry this product with them, but because of the intravenous administration and instability of the product, it is recommended that a veterinarian give it.