That means if your dog is not improving quite quickly, do seek professional help.This means a bee can only sting once, but the sting may be harder to remove. If antihistamines are going to help, they will help within 20-30 minutes. These are often worth a try at home, but you should call your veterinary clinic first to make sure these drugs are safe and appropriate for your individual dog. Antihistamines typically do not work as well in dogs as they do in people, but they can help to reduce soreness. Veterinarians also have access to safe, strong anti-inflammatory drugs that will reduce the inflammation the sting is causing in your dog, and typically these drugs are not available at home or over the counter.Īs mentioned, stings often produce a histamine reaction, and so just like in people, you can treat these with anti-histamine drugs such as Benadryl. You should seek professional veterinary advice from your local clinic if you are concerned or if your dog is showing any of the more intense symptoms. If the swelling and pain are persistent or more severe, your dog may need some medical treatment. What Can I Use to Treat My Dog for Bee and Wasp Stings? Monitor your dog carefully for 24-48 hours, being ready to call the vet if they develop more serious symptoms.Be careful not to apply very cold items (like frozen peas) directly to the skin – wrap them in a towel first. If there is some swelling, you can use a cold pack or something cool to gently cool the area down. If the pain and swelling in your dog seems to be mild, most dogs will not need any treatment, and you can safely monitor at home.Usually this does not require any force, just try and get a fingernail or a credit card under it and brush it off. Stingers look a bit like small wood splinters, and if you can see it, try and pull it out of the skin as soon as you can. In bees especially, this needle will pull out of the insect’s body and be left stuck in the victim, where it will continue to deliver toxins into the skin. The stinger is the needle-sharp bit that delivers the toxins into the victim. If you can find the area of pain or swelling, it is important to see if the stinger is still there.Establish where the problem is – which body part is affected? Does your dog have several stings or just one? Has your dog been stung on the paw? If your dog has several stings, or has severe swelling, you should call your veterinarian immediately.Reactions can also have a time delay, so do keep a careful eye on your dog over the 24-48hours after the sting. The more stings a dog (or person) receives, the more likely there will be a severe reaction, so multiple stings are more dangerous. In these cases, the swelling all over may be so severe that the dog is no longer able to breathe and will seem to choke and collapse. The most severe, and thankfully rarest, reactions are called anaphylactic reactions. Dogs having these may develop swelling and skin bumps all over (‘urticaria’), and they may show other symptoms like lethargy and vomiting. Most dogs will tolerate stings well but just like people, occasionally dogs can have intense allergic reactions to stings. Image Credit: Madcat_Madlove, Shutterstock Dogs will often whine and rub or paw the area affected. If the sting happened on the face or mouth, you may notice swelling of the head, which can be really quite spectacular! This might also cause a bit of dribbling and salivating, especially if your dog was stung by a bee in mouth. Your dog may be limping if your dog was stung on paw. You may see a sore or swollen area where the sting happened. Stings contain toxins which cause pain, tissue damage and a histamine reaction within the skin, and this will lead to sudden redness and swelling. If your dog is out in the garden or on a walk, especially in the summer, and suddenly becomes very sore and agitated, a sting is a definite possibility. Just as in humans, a dog stung by a wasp will have symptoms- usually a sudden, painful reaction from your dog. How Do I Know if My Dog Has Been Stung by a Bee or Wasp? In this article, we shall explore what happens when a dog is stung by a wasp and what to do. Dogs are also naturally inquisitive and so are likely to try and smell (or taste!) interesting buzzing creatures! Stings are the typical defensive reaction from these insects, and as we all know, they can really hurt and cause quite intense effects! One sting is an irritation, but many stings can be dangerous as the toxic effects of the sting accumulate. It is not unusual for dogs to come into contact with bees, yellow jackets, and wasps when running around outside or playing in the garden. The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

Dog stung by bee symptoms