Insect stings and bite hurt , and the same goes for frankfurter stung by bees . Here ’s one vet ’s advice on what to do after your pup tangles with a pest .
We ’ve all seen , and probably chuckled at , the picture : Regretful pups sitting with enkindle snouts after investigate a bee a niggling too closely .
But the effects of bee stings and other blighter — wasps , fire ants , mosquitos , fleas , and ticks — can be serious . Just like us , a bounder stung by a bee will be in some infliction .
Photo: kozorog / Getty
Dogs who take an interest in bee or white Anglo-Saxon Protestant are likely to receive a afflictive insect bite on the nose or head field . Sometimes dogs will even seek to consume bee ! Fire ant will butt against onto your dog-iron without hesitation and then prick in unison . Ouch ! And mosquitoes , tick , andfleascan spreading disease and causeitchinessfor your better supporter .
Dog Bee Sting Symptoms
While hopefully you are always supervising your dog when they ’re playing outside , if you did n’t hap to see a bee bite your dog , there are a few signs to look out for fit in toVCA Hospitalsincluding :
What to Do After Your Dog Is Stung by a Bee or Bitten by an Insect
reaction to insect bites and bee stings can swan from slight swelling and pain to anaphylaxis , a sudden , severeallergic reactionthat can be fatal if not treated immediately . Mosquito pungency can transmitheartworm disease . Tick - borne diseases includeLyme diseaseand ehrlichiosis ( a bacterial sickness with flulike symptoms ) . Fleas can pass ontapeworms .
If a bee stings your hot dog , sweep the cut out of his pelt using the sharpness of your fingernail , a credit circuit card , or a butter tongue . Do n’t grasp the stinger with tweezers ; doing so may exhaust more maliciousness into the lesion .
Some stings are life - threatening . While it might look funny , a dog bite by a bee in the mouth , face , or neck can have life-threatening swelling that affects a dog ’s ability to breathe . That ’s an exigency , and your dog needs prompt veterinary help .
If a bee stings your dog is below the neck such as on their manus or body , treat the atrocious domain with a soothing paste made of bake soda and water system or moisten a washcloth or gauze pad with cold water and apply it to the injury . Lynn Buzhardt , DVM , writesthat a comfort oatmeal bath might be necessary to address multiple sharpness or bunko .
Dogs may also need the dreadedhead coneif they keep scratching orlicking their wounds , Buzhardt writes . That behavior can check healing and even top to young infection .
How to Treat a Bee Sting on a Dog
An antihistaminesuch as Benadrylfor a dog bee sting can help , depend on the severity of the reaction . require your veteran now what the appropriate dose would be for your dog and write it down so you do n’t have to judge if and when the time do .
Keep a close center on your dog after the flimflam to make certain he does n’t have anallergicreaction , Hill ’s Pet Nutritionsays . If the swelling does n’t dissipate , call your vet .
If fire emmet invade your dog , get him off from where they ’re attack , put on boxing glove , and cautiously brush them off so you do n’t make them angrier . If there are only a few bites , you’re able to regale them with a bake soda paste , a cold-blooded compress , or Benadryl . If there are many , you ask to get your dog to the vet for discourse .
Buzhardt read pet owner should head to the ex-serviceman or exigency clinic if :
contrive ahead for encounters with flea , ticks , and mosquitoes with veterinary surgeon - order or recommendedpreventatives . The one you prefer should depend on your lifestyle as well as the type ofparasitesin your area .
Preventing Future Bee Stings and Bug Bites
The best way to forestall your dog from getting sting by bees or prick by hemipteran is to keep a alert eye on them outside and keep your home and yard sprayed for blighter .
If you know there is a bee beehive , wasp nest , or ant Alfred Hawthorne near your house or in your landscaping , keep your dog away from those areas and babble out to a professional pest control service for advice on how to relocate the hive ( bee are so important to our ecosystem ! ) or reduce the peril of you or your dog getting bitten by other worm .
A translation of this article first appeared inHappy Paws Spring / Summer 2020 .