Why do so many dogs get stung by bees? If you think about it, it’s not hard to imagine why… Bees make funny noises, they move slowly and hover at face-height. They can easily be mistaken for sky raisins! And this is why most bee stings we encounter are in or around the mouth of puppies! Only very occasionally will we see a poor little sod who has accidentally trod on a bee.
My pet has been stung by a bee! What should I do?
Ouch – be stings are very painful! If your pet is sore, they may not want you checking it out – so be careful, pets that are sore can bite if they feel you’re ignoring their crying to be left alone. But, if you can, take a look at the area. Once they have stung, the bee will fall off your dog, but the stinger will remain – sadly certainly death for our bee friend. If you can see the stinger (a small black barb) on your pet’s skin, you can use the flat edge of a credit card to gently swipe it out of the skin. I wouldn’t recommend tweezers as they can break the fragile stinger, leaving small bits embedded and difficult to remove. Often pets dislodge the stinger themselves as they will frantically paw at the sore area.
I didn’t see my pet get stung, but I’m pretty sure they’ve just had a bee sting – how can I tell if this has happened?
Pets who have been stung by a bee are fine one minute, then not the next. Usually this means they are crying, pawing at their face or not walking on their foot – depending on where the sting has happened.
The classic presentation in the emergency room is a very puffy and swollen face. This is a severe form of allergic reaction and won’t happen to all dogs who experience bee stings. However, any dog who does experience these symptoms should be seen by a veterinarian before respiratory symptoms & anaphylaxis develops.
How we typically see bee stings in pets – very puffy faces!
How will the vet help my dog who has been stung by a bee?
Many dogs can have severe allergic reactions to bee stings, your vet will be interested to ensure your pet isn’t experiencing life-threatening anaphylaxis. Breathing issues, lethargy, collapse, sudden vomiting and diarrhoea can indicate something is seriously wrong.
Many pets benefit from short-acting cortisone and antihistamine relief, but treatment depends on the individual case.
Dogs are usually asked to stay in the clinic for approximately half an hour after they have seen a vet to make sure things aren’t deteriorating before being sent home to take it easy with some rest.
What can I expect in the days following a bee sting?
Allergic reactions can happen in two different phases. The first phase happens straight away and is the pain and swelling that I’ve mentioned above. If treated, this improves fairly quickly.
The second phase can happen in the next day or two, and presents often as tummy signs – vomiting and diarrhoea. Most of the time, this is fairly mild. However, to reduce your chances of coming back to the vet for another visit with your dog, I would certainly recommend no treats or snacks for the 48 hours following a sting, keep it simple with their base staple diet (that will be kibble, for most of you guys).
Sometimes, pets can develop hives the next day. These are lumps and swellings over the skin, and mean you should go back to the vet for some longer acting medication and a breathing check.
I hope you are buzzing with information about what to do when your dog gets a bee sting, and what to expect in the days following.
Don’t be afraid – let me know if you found this info at all helpful, or if there are other things you’d like me to talk about on our blogs!
