How to Treat a Dog for Bee Stings
Look for a stinger in the wound area., Listen for a yelp., Try to keep your dog from licking the area., Look for the signs of a typical reaction., Watch for signs of an anaphylactic reaction.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Look for a stinger in the wound area.
Each individual bee can only sting once because when he stings something, he embeds the stinger in his victim.
This means that if your pet is stung by a bee, you will most likely be able to see a stinger sticking out of his skin.The stinger looks like a small barb, or thorn, and may have a blob of fleshy tissue at the end of it (this is where is was attached to the bee’s abdomen).
The stinger contains toxins that can irritate the skin and cause pain and swelling.
If you can pick the stinger out right away, your dog is likely to experience less pain and swelling.
This is because the stinger continues to pump toxins into the area long after the sting has occurred. -
Step 2: Listen for a yelp.
If your dog was playing with an insect in the yard and suddenly yelps loudly for no apparent reason, there is a good chance that he has been stung.
Along with the yelp, he may also appear cowed, meaning he has his tail between his legs and his ears are down.
Quickly look around the yard to see if there is anything else your dog could have hurt himself on.
Look for sharp rocks on the ground and objects that could have cut him.
Check your dog to see if he has any injuries, such as a lame leg or a cut.
If you can’t find any dangerous objects and your dog doesn’t have any outright injuries, there is a good chance he was stung by an insect. , If you see your dog beginning to lick a certain area, stop him so that you can look for a stinger to confirm your suspicions. , Bee stings generally cause pain and swelling in the area where they occur.
If your dog is able to scratch the area, this will cause further swelling.
Other things to look for include:
A pin-prick sized red spot, surrounded by reddened skin.
Puffiness in the area.
Your dog may try to bite or scratch the area because be stings can be itchy.
If your dog has been stung on an area where the skin does not have much stretch (such as on the bridge of the nose), then the area may become puffy and swollen. , An anaphylactic reaction means that your dog is allergic to bees and the toxins that their stingers contain.
Anaphylactic reactions cause a shock-like collapse of the circulatory system and are not so much an external (skin) reaction as an internal one.
Anaphylaxis is an emergency situation that requires immediate veterinary attention.
Signs to look for include:
Your dog becomes groggy and wobbly, as if he is drunk or very tired.
He may seem weak, and might even collapse on the ground.
He may also have a hard time lifting his head.
Your dog’s breathing may become rapid and shallow.
Look at your dog’s gums.
If they appear pale pink or white, rather than a healthy pink like the color of your own gums, then he may be having an allergic reaction.
Press your dog’s gums with your fingertip.
Remove your finger and watch the color come back into the gums.
A healthy circulation pumps blood back into the area instantaneously, whereas a dog with slow circulation because of shock will not have color return to his gums for two seconds or more. -
Step 3: Try to keep your dog from licking the area.
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Step 4: Look for the signs of a typical reaction.
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Step 5: Watch for signs of an anaphylactic reaction.
Detailed Guide
Each individual bee can only sting once because when he stings something, he embeds the stinger in his victim.
This means that if your pet is stung by a bee, you will most likely be able to see a stinger sticking out of his skin.The stinger looks like a small barb, or thorn, and may have a blob of fleshy tissue at the end of it (this is where is was attached to the bee’s abdomen).
The stinger contains toxins that can irritate the skin and cause pain and swelling.
If you can pick the stinger out right away, your dog is likely to experience less pain and swelling.
This is because the stinger continues to pump toxins into the area long after the sting has occurred.
If your dog was playing with an insect in the yard and suddenly yelps loudly for no apparent reason, there is a good chance that he has been stung.
Along with the yelp, he may also appear cowed, meaning he has his tail between his legs and his ears are down.
Quickly look around the yard to see if there is anything else your dog could have hurt himself on.
Look for sharp rocks on the ground and objects that could have cut him.
Check your dog to see if he has any injuries, such as a lame leg or a cut.
If you can’t find any dangerous objects and your dog doesn’t have any outright injuries, there is a good chance he was stung by an insect. , If you see your dog beginning to lick a certain area, stop him so that you can look for a stinger to confirm your suspicions. , Bee stings generally cause pain and swelling in the area where they occur.
If your dog is able to scratch the area, this will cause further swelling.
Other things to look for include:
A pin-prick sized red spot, surrounded by reddened skin.
Puffiness in the area.
Your dog may try to bite or scratch the area because be stings can be itchy.
If your dog has been stung on an area where the skin does not have much stretch (such as on the bridge of the nose), then the area may become puffy and swollen. , An anaphylactic reaction means that your dog is allergic to bees and the toxins that their stingers contain.
Anaphylactic reactions cause a shock-like collapse of the circulatory system and are not so much an external (skin) reaction as an internal one.
Anaphylaxis is an emergency situation that requires immediate veterinary attention.
Signs to look for include:
Your dog becomes groggy and wobbly, as if he is drunk or very tired.
He may seem weak, and might even collapse on the ground.
He may also have a hard time lifting his head.
Your dog’s breathing may become rapid and shallow.
Look at your dog’s gums.
If they appear pale pink or white, rather than a healthy pink like the color of your own gums, then he may be having an allergic reaction.
Press your dog’s gums with your fingertip.
Remove your finger and watch the color come back into the gums.
A healthy circulation pumps blood back into the area instantaneously, whereas a dog with slow circulation because of shock will not have color return to his gums for two seconds or more.
About the Author
James Cook
Experienced content creator specializing in pet care guides and tutorials.
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