My Dog’s Been Stung By A Bee: What Do I Do?

This can be a worry for you and your pooch as this harmful insect sting can vary in severity, possibly leading to allergic reactions or a slightly swollen lump.

Dogs are playful and curious creatures, who love to chase anything that moves. Quite often a dog may see a bee – think its a fly and reach out to eat it.

This may lead to a nasty bee sting in its mouth or anywhere on the body.

How Do I know If My Dog Has a Bee Sting?

If your dog has any of these symptoms they may have a severe or mild bee sting:

• weakness
• swelling on sting site
• whining in pain
• difficulty breathing
• collapse
• salvation
• restlessness
• licking
• seizures
• vomiting

What To Do If My Dog Is Stung?

A sting can vary in severity depending on the dog and the insect.

A simple sting can be dealt with quickly and may not lead to any other severe health effects. Here is what you should do:

• • If the stinger is still injected, flick it out using a fingernail to prevent more venom being squeezed in.
  • Don’t use anything, such as tweezers, that could force more poison into the body to remove the stinger.
  • Place an ice pack or damp towel on the infected area to reduce swelling – but don’t have it on for too long as this can lead to shock and the body getting too cold.
  • Observe your pet closely to watch for allergic reactions. If the swelling doesn’t go down for more than a few days, go to the Vet.

A severe sting can result in anaphylactic-like-symptoms in dogs. If you think your dog is displaying allergic reaction symptoms take them to your nearest Vet immediately.

What Actually Happens When A Dog Is Stung?

The pain of a sting comes from the poison which is injected into the skin through the bee’s stinger.

The stinger easy lodges into the skin and kills the bee when the stinger is detached. Wasp stingers are more painful and can sting multiple times, unlike a bee sting.

Sometimes a dog can get a bee sting in their mouth or even swallow a bee. If you think this has happened to your poor pooch go the Vet immediately. This type of sting is likely to swell and block your dog’s airway.

If your dog has been stung and are showing any severe symptoms, particularly allergic reaction symptoms, and contact your vet as quickly as possible.

If you are unsure what to do in the case of an injury or insect bite or sting call a trusted vet or animal care professional for advice.