Bees Sting Pets Too!

Summertime is wonderful for outdoor activities for your pet, but can result in exposure to bees, wasps, hornets, ants, and other biting insects.

The significance of a sting depends on the type of stinging insect, the pet's reactivity to the venom, and the location of the sting. The worst cases I have seen resulted from internal stings to the back of the mouth and throat area.

Typical signs include pain, redness, swelling, and sometimes more severe allergic-type reactions develop.

Bees have a barbed stinger. The bee dies as a result of stinging. When the stinger enters the skin, it sticks there and should be removed by gently scraping it out with a credit card or other blunt object. Avoid grabbing it with forceps since you will squeeze additional venom out of the stinger into the tissues. There is significant pain in the first hour or so, and the pet will often yelp at the time of the sting, and rub the affected part with their paws, or rub the head on the grass etc. in order to relieve the discomfort.

An ice pack applied to the affected area may provide some relief, and the dog should be monitored closely for a few hours after the event. Signs of weakness, breathing difficulty, anxious appearance, and any unusual swelling that extends significantly away from the sting site need to be followed up promptly with professional veterinary attention. Pay particular note to swelling of the head and neck area.

If the dog is swarmed by a number of bees, immediate veterinary attention should be sought. Swelling around the face and throat are particularly of concern, and professional treatment should be very prompt in these cases.

Hornet and wasp stings are more painful than bee stings, but the stinger does not become imbedded. The same guidelines for first aid and when to call the veterinarian apply as for bee stings.

If the sting is single, and a mild local reaction is present, there is no need to administer home medications. A mild self-limiting reaction is not a cause for concern.

Severe reactions, as described above require therapy at a veterinary facility since fast-acting injectable forms of medications are indicated (antihistamine, steroid, adrenaline etc.). Oral preparations of medications do not absorb quickly enough through the stomach to provide the prompt activity that is required in progressive sting reactions. Oral medications may be prescribed as a follow up therapy when the reaction is not resolving quickly, but for management of acute, severe reactions, the oral forms are not an adequate primary therapy. The progressive reactions also benefit from professional care because if the throat swells, respiratory support may be needed, and in these cases, or those of multiple sting injury, intravenous fluids and other intensive support may be required.