What should you do if your dog gets stung by a wasp or a bee?
Updated on October 2nd, 2018
As humans we know to stay away from those pesky yellow and black winged creatures that seem to take over our country during the summer months. However, as lovely as our pooches are, they are not always the brightest creatures in the world, and they will see a buzzing bee or wasp as something that they just have to check out, and then possibly even try to play with.
This then means that they run the risk of being stung. Just like for humans, being stung by a wasp or a bee can cause irritation, but dogs can also be allergic to the sting, or if they receive several stings, they could even end up becoming very ill.
So, what should you do if your dog gets stung by a wasp or a bee?
Here is our guide to what you need to do.
Where are dogs most likely to be stung?
The majority of dogs will be stung on the face or the mouth as these are the places that they will use when sniffing around investigating the buzzing creature.
If the dog then tries to snap at, or even worse, eat the bee or wasp, then they are most likely to be stung in the mouth or in the throat.
If they are stung in these areas, then this can be incredibly dangerous as this could block the airway and cause them to not be able to breathe.
What are the signs that your dog has been stung?
We can’t be watching our dogs 100% of the time, so, if we haven’t seen them actually be stung, then how can we be sure that it has happened? There are some sure-fire signs that your dog has been stung.
They may:
- Whine
- Hold up their paw
- Biting or nibble where they have been stung
- Drool
- Paw their face or mouth
- Show signs of swelling
- Have come out in hives
If your dog has been stung and they are allergic then they may be:
- Having difficultly breathing
- Collapsing
- Show signs of swelling in their mouth and their throat too
For dogs that are showing those signs, they need to immediately go to the vets to be checked over.
What should I do if my dog has been stung?
The most important thing that you need to do if your dog has been stung is fight your natural urge to panic as this won’t help the situation at all.
You need to focus on pulling out, or scraping out the sting. It is better to scrap it out if you can, as this will help to remove the entire sting, including the poison sac. A credit card is a good tool for this.
You should never squeeze the sting out, or try to squeeze it after it has been removed. Instead you should bathe the area that has been stung in water, as this will help to clean the area.
You can also apply ice to the area, as this will reduce swelling and ensure that they feel better too, after all stings can be sore.
If your dog has been stung in the mouth or throat, then they need to immediately go to the vets as this will interfere with their breathing and can cause problems.
