could it be a spider bite?

[AmazingGrace]

dd8 came in this morning with a really bad sore on her butt. It's round, about the size of a pencil eraser. The center looks like a hole with a scab, and around it, the skin looks like it's kind of flaky and breaking down. It's warm to the touch and it's surrounded by red. She says that it hurts around it. Unfortunately, we can't get an appointment until tomorrow morning. I marked around it with a pen to see if it's changing.
I'm concerned it's a bite of some kind. She just got back from camp, she's been playing outside constantly and we have spiders in our house. We're getting sprayed tomorrow. My question is, does it sound like a spider bite? Are we okay to see the doc tomorrow morning or should i see about after hours care today? It's either that or the ER and i don't feel like she needs the ER.

 

[Jenvenza]

Are you in Texas? Yes, it could be a spider bite! I was bit by a Brown Recluse (Sp?) when I was 15 and it looked like a cirlce with a hole in the middle. It ended up turning black and was painful, I wouldnt even let clothing touch it. I waited a little too long to say anything about it, because I didnt know what it was. It was horribly painful when they had to drain it. I still have a scar 15 years later. I would go to a doctor as soon as possible, just in case! You can never be too careful.

 

[Iott Family]

If your DD is not running a fever, nausous or having difficulty breathing I think tomorrow morning would be soon enough for the dr. appt. It sounds like a spider/bug bite, is it itching her? If it were my DD I would clean the wound with peroxide and put some ant-bacterial sav on it. What a great idea to mark around the swelling to see if it gets worse! Its such a common sense thing but I never thought to do that!

on an after thought, give her some liquid benedryl. Thats what we do to help with the itching of multiple bug bites after a week of camp!!!! My DD12 is at resident/scout camp all this week. They are backpacking/hiking so it will be interesting to see what she comes home with! Be it bug bites, scrapes, etc!

 

[HunnyPots]

Definitely sounds like a spider bite. Unfortunately, without knowing what kind of spider it was you have no way of knowing how serious it is or how quickly you should act. If it was a brown recluse or a black widow, she needs to be treated asap, but I guess there's no way of knowing? When did she first notice the bite?

 

[ChrizJen]

If it is a brown recluse or other highly poisonous spider, the mark will change and worsen quickly. You'll know by this evening whether to seek treatment or wait. The spot will get bigger and brighter red. Just be sure to keep a close eye on it. Like another poster said, she should be OK as long as she's not having any difficulty breathing or nausea/vomiting. Just keep her close by for the rest of the afternoon/evening and watch it closely for changes.

 

[Christine]

It could actually be a "boil" and the butt is a common area for them. It sounds exactly like one. They are caused by a staph infection in the follicle. In fact, one of the sayings that doctors use is that if it "looks like a spider bite--think staph".

 

[Iott Family]

It could actually be a "boil" and the butt is a common area for them. It sounds exactly like one. They are caused by a staph infection in the follicle. In fact, one of the sayings that doctors use is that if it "looks like a spider bite--think staph".

I was thinking the same thing at first because my DD age 2 has been fighting a mirsa/staph infection since we returned from WDW this past october BUT her infections are always *****, like a zit on steroids, and the OP said it looked like and red spot with a hole in the middle and flaky. If it is a staph infection apply a hot washcloth to it to bring it to a head, pop it(painful) and then clean it and cover it in anti bacterial sav and bandaid and see your doctor ASAP. Staph infections require antibiotics or they will get worse, spread and possibly go septic. Not trying to scare you here but this is what we have been dealing with since about 8 days after returning from our last WDW vacation. Makes me even more squimish of public changing tables Im sure it wasnt from one of disneys but any of the public restrooms we used on the way to/from. Yes I used lysol spray and disposable change pads but alas!!!!
getting back on track, I am sure it is most likely a bite rather than staph but a bite can get infected with staph, Just knowing OP's DD was at camp makes the bite an obvious. If she used latrines over flushies it could very well be infected. Latrines are so knarly

 

[Christine]

I was thinking the same thing at first because my DD age 2 has been fighting a mirsa/staph infection since we returned from WDW this past october BUT her infections are always *****, like a zit on steroids, and the OP said it looked like and red spot with a hole in the middle and flaky. If it is a staph infection apply a hot washcloth to it to bring it to a head, pop it(painful) and then clean it and cover it in anti bacterial sav and bandaid and see your doctor ASAP. Staph infections require antibiotics or they will get worse, spread and possibly go septic. Not trying to scare you here but this is what we have been dealing with since about 8 days after returning from our last WDW vacation. Makes me even more squimish of public changing tables Im sure it wasnt from one of disneys but any of the public restrooms we used on the way to/from. Yes I used lysol spray and disposable change pads but alas!!!!
getting back on track, I am sure it is most likely a bite rather than staph but a bite can get infected with staph, Just knowing OP's DD was at camp makes the bite an obvious. If she used latrines over flushies it could very well be infected. Latrines are so knarly

Agree that the OP should see a doctor but not all staph is MRSA and I've known a few people, including myself, who have gotten this and it can get better with self-care. They don't all require antibiotic but sometimes they do so it's always safe to get it checked out. I was able to deal with mine with hot compresses, good cleaning, and a bandaid everyday.

 

[VirtuallyMe]

See a doctor- it can be too many different things... I could share horror stories about an insect bite getting infected.

It could be as simple as minor infection that will clear up with antibiotic- or it could be spider, tick, etc bite...

I doubt I'd run off to an ER- maybe after hours place- but definitely by tomorrow-

Like others have said- watch it, mark the redness, and get her to see a doctor very soon.

 

[D L and K's Mom]

We had MRSA staph in the family and that is how it started in DH. I would just do hot compresses or a nice hot bath and see your DR tomorrow. MRSA was horrible but as someone said it is not always antibiotic resistant staph. Boils on the bottom are a common place to have them. DD is a diver and sometimes sitting around in a wet suit gives her little pimples on her bottom that can get bigger if they get irritated.....she will kill me for saying that!! If you DD just got home from camp this may be a reason. I would not squeeze it until you see a Dr. unless it is causing lots of pain. If it does rupture after the hot bath or compress clean it good with warm water and peroxide use gloves. Don't put on antibiotic ointment...use cream. We were told the ointment keeps it moist and makes healing take more time. My Dr gave us Bactroban Cream that I now use instead of antibiotic ointment. Keep it covered to limit infection and infecting anyone else. Keep us posted.

 

[Gina]

I think all the other Texans have the right idea -- it sure sounds like a brown recluse bite, and it needs to be treated ASAP. You don't mess around with those -- the results can be terrible and permanent.

Do a quick Google image search for "brown recluse bite" and you can compare your daughter's mark to a lot of pictures of bites in various stages. If you think that's what it is, get her in to a doc. Best of luck to you!

 

[LuvMickey36]

Take her to get checked out! I would hate for her to have to go thru what my dh did if it is a spider bite. He was bitten by a brown recluse on his neck & thigh a few yrs. ago.

He thought it was no big deal would go away. He was bitten on a fri. He went to doc on mon. when he could hardly walk & the knee was 2-3times its normal size. They gave him a shot & zithromax(I think that was it). The next day he could not put weight on it & it was turning black. Back to the doc. & they sent him directly to a surgeon. They took a 2x2 chunk out of his neck about 1/2 in deep & a 2x3 hole as deep as the surgeons index finger on his thigh. They admitted him to the hosp. where he spent the next 4 days on IV antibiotics.
After he was discharged, home health came everyday to repack the wounds. I will not go into detail, but it was very painful & GROSS!! They packed the wounds with iodine gauze. It took a good month to heal up enough that it didn't hurt all the time.

I hope things work out for you dd, and she has a mild bug bite that has gotten infected.

 

[southernbelle_amy]

it could be a bite or MRSA (methacillin resistant staph aureus). Go ahead and do warm compresses, but I wouldn't try and "pop" it until you go to your doctor because, in our office, we do a wound culture to determine for sure if it is MRSA and if the antibiotic will work. Plus you don't want to handle if it because if it is staph you or other family members will be more likely to also get it. Good luck.

 

[N&B'smom]

How is she?? Did you get her in to see the Dr? What was it?

Shelby

 

[AmazingGrace]

Doc didn'y know what it was. She said that it looked like whatever it was, it had drained and that's what caused the scab. hse put grace on keflex(antibiotic) and told me to watch it. The alarming thing is, it seems to have grown even since this morning. I'm going to give the keflex 24 hours, if i don't see improvemtn, she's going back in. Thanks for all the imput.

 

[livie1205]

oh my I would get another doc to look at it.I know someone in the hospital right now that had a spider bite turn into staph and they are on their 2nd surgery...they are very ill.PLEASE watch it closely....I will say a little prayer that she feels better.

 

[ljhmom]

I agree with the PP when my ds was 2 he has something like what you described, it ended up being a spider bite and we had to stay in the hospital for 4 days getting IV antibiotics.

 

[PatsGirl]

Another "go see a different doctor" vote! My niece got bit by a spider and didnt' go to the doctor for a few days and ended up on crutches for weeks... (the bite was on the bottom of her foot)

I had what I thought was a spider bite between my shoulder blades a few months back. The pain came on suddenly, so suddenly in fact that I jumped up off the couch. Within a few hours I had the big red spot which was sore for about a 2" radius. I went to the doctor and it was a boil so who knows? Just didn't understand how a boil could feel like a bite, I actually felt something happen!

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

dd8 came in this morning with a really bad sore on her butt. It's round, about the size of a pencil eraser. The center looks like a hole with a scab, and around it, the skin looks like it's kind of flaky and breaking down. It's warm to the touch and it's surrounded by red. She says that it hurts around it. Unfortunately, we can't get an appointment until tomorrow morning. I marked around it with a pen to see if it's changing.
I'm concerned it's a bite of some kind. She just got back from camp, she's been playing outside constantly and we have spiders in our house. We're getting sprayed tomorrow. My question is, does it sound like a spider bite? Are we okay to see the doc tomorrow morning or should i see about after hours care today? It's either that or the ER and i don't feel like she needs the ER.

while it may sound like a spider bite, that is what MRSA looks like when it first appears. Take her and get it checked. Better safe than sorry. Both of my DDs had a spot just like that and it was MRSA. Good Luck.

 

[D L and K's Mom]

Ask that they culture it. Ask nicely but forcefully. It takes a few days for the culture to come back to tell you what antibiotic will work. Even antibiotic resistant staph will respond to aggressive antibiotics but only certain ones. It is quite easy to culture it they will just swab the "gunk" and send it to the lab. I am still in awe at how little is know about MRSA even the ER Dr we saw was pretty clueless. Culture it, culture it , culture it. Even if it seems to be getting better I would still ask to have it cultured in case it comes back. DH had to have a pic line put in his chest....I don't want to scare you. He went to Dr. they drained the boil. A few days later it was really bad. He went to Dr and they drained and packed the boil. Next day he went to ER and they sort of drained the boil and cut some of the edge....yuck. He was back in a week and had to have surgery to take out a big chunk. DH was in the hospital a few days and then had a pic line in for I think a month. He was able to go to work but had to hook himself up twice a day for IV antibiotics. It was horrible. This has happened twice to him once on the buttocks and once on the foot. IV antibiotics for both. I can't remember the name but it was strong stuff.