Yes, We Have Scorpions In La Jolla

My dog, Scooby, dropped a scorpion on our rug this morning. We live on a canyon, so the odds of us having critters is higher than, say, if you live in the Village.

We’ve owned this house for fifteen years and have had four in-house scorpions and one outdoor encounter. Here’s how they happened.

I was unpacking my suitcase from Mexico and noticed a dead scorpion about three feet away. I assumed that he hitched a ride in my bag back to the U.S.

However, based on the amount of stuff I had in my suitcase and how I was unpacking, I couldn’t figure out how it got to this part of the house. On hindsight, I think it had just wandered into the house.

A year later, we found one in our living room.

We killed one outside on our patio.

One fell out of a vent into my daughter’s bathroom. It had clearly been in the attic.

When Scooby caught one in his mouth and spit it out on the carpet we weren’t sure if he found it dead or not. Luckily, he wasn’t stung.

My parents had a house in Mexico, so I’m familiar with scorpion protocol. Our scorpions look a lot like the ones we saw there and they hurt like nobody’s business when they sting (my dad knew first-hand).

The scorpions around our house are small at about 2-3 inches long and light brown, like the one in the photo above.

According to the San Diego County website, our resident scorpions aren’t deadly. But, a sting is extraordinarily painful and that you probably should seek medical treatment if stung.

If Your Dog or Cat Gets a Scorpion Sting

Our vet suggests that you take a stung pet directly to the emergency room because scorpions sting with a neurotoxin that can yield side effects that a normal vet office can’t handle.

For us, the closest pet ER is Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Sorrento Valley. They are a 24-hour facility and I can’t recommend them highly enough. We’ve been there multiple times for Scooby’s skin ailments, TPLO surgery, and more.

WikiPet suggests applying a cold compress, restricting movement, applying a cone collar, and baking soda paste. They also give dosing instructions for Benadryl. Ask your vet what you should do.

Scorpion Sting Treatment for Humans

According to the Mayo Clinic website, kids are particularly vulnerable and should always receive medical treatment.

They also suggest washing the wound with soap and water, applying a cold compress, an over-the-counter pain reliever, avoiding food (as stings can cause throat swelling, and staying calm (obviously). If you can, bring the scorpion to the appointment so they can identify what kind it is.

Interesting fact: According to the San Diego County website, scorpions glow under a black light.

The point of this post is to let you all know that we have scorpions in La Jolla so that you can have a plan in case you or your pet or child is stung. It’s likely that they probably live in other parts of coastal San Diego, too.

*Photo credit: Flickr, JeffreyTurner