When your dog gets stung

Dogs poke their curious nose everywhere, so they (and not only they) may easily get stung by a bee or wasp in summer. What should you do if this happens?

In summer your dog may easily get stung by a bee or wasp. This is particularly true if your dog snaps at all sorts of insects, including bees and wasps. Moreover, your dog may have an allergic reaction to the sting. 

In most cases, however, there are no serious consequences, only short-term pain. When my lucky dog got stung on the outside of his mouth, he scratched himself for a while, but in a moment he wanted to be friends with another wasp. 

The situation becomes dangerous when a dog develops an allergic reaction, gets stung multiple times, or gets stung in the snout, tongue or even the throat. Puppies and small dogs are at the greatest danger because of their size, which means a higher ratio of toxins to body weight. 

They will often get a stinger on the bottom of their paw. In this case especially it's necessary to remove it as soon as possible. Don't use tweezers to avoid squeezing more toxins into your dog. Instead, try to carefully remove it with your nail, for example. 

In most cases, if any treatment is needed at all, all you need to do is treat the wound with vinegar or a special gel. Cooling the affected area will also help for just ten minutes to a quarter of an hour. There may be rapid swelling in the area of their mouth, where attention should be paid to the sting due to potential breathing problems. If you notice swelling of the tongue, snout, or eyelids, go to the vet immediately. 

As mentioned, a sting is occasionally followed by an allergic reaction. This may result in vomiting, excessive salivation, swelling or even unconsciousness. Moreover, symptoms are likely to worsen with each additional sting. Therefore, if you have already experienced an allergic reaction in your dog, ask your veterinarian what medications to prepare for the next case.

I hope you and your four-legged partners remain free of stingers this year, and if you do get stung, that there's no reaction. 

Related articles

History of the domestic cat I.

Did you know that the domestic cat which is now kept as a pet all over the world, is probably a domesticated form of the wild cat, specifically of its subspecies the African wildcat, European wildcat and Asiatic wildcat?

What do cats have under their fur or cat's anatomy

Cat is a perfect tool for hunting. It owes it to the dozens of years of evolution. While in dogs, their physical signs have been emphasised or suppressed, cats got to keep, apart from several exceptions, their main anatomical features unchanged. In...

How to behave at dog playgrounds

It's no longer a strange thing when a municipality sets up a dog park or a dog playground. Due to frequent regulation of off-leash movement of dogs, this should, however, often be obligatory. Do you know how to behave in such places so that you...

How to travel safely with a dog in the car

Vacation time is finally here and many of us are planning where they will be headed this year. If you decide to go for an adventure by car and to take your dog friend with you as well, a bit of advice might come in handy on how to provide safety for...

How to teach a dog to swim

Of course that we won’t talk about how to teach a dog the swimming technique. We want to talk about how to teach the dog to get used to water and how to make swimming a positive experience for it. Since not every one of them trusts water and some are...

How to choose the right equipment for a cat

If you’re planning to bring a new addition home and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a kitten or an adult cat, it is necessary to prepare the flat for it as well. Do you know what will the animal need and what you shouldn’t forget about or how to choose...

First aid for poisoning - Pesticides

No matter how thorough we are with the prevention, a situation might come up when a dog or a cat will get to a poisonous thing, whether it’s by our inattention or it's somebody else’s fault. That’s why it’s not off-topic to prepare yourself for the...