One of the most adorable and at times irritating habits of dogs is their curiosity. They like to dig holes and sniff everything. It’s not a surprise since canines understand a lot about their surroundings through their sense of smell. However, though possessing a very powerful nose is a huge asset, this can also be detrimental to your furry friends. Because of their curiosity, they might disturb insect nests or encounter other creatures that might hurt or sting them.
European Wasp (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Bee and Wasp Stings
Bees and wasps are two of the most infamous stingers around. Dogs are pretty resilient and, most of the time, they can ignore insect stings. However, it’s not the pain of the sting that you have to worry about; it’s about the poison that’s injected into your beloved loyal companion.
A bee usually leaves its barbed stinger into the skin. So, it can cause further irritation. But there are also certain species of bees with smooth stingers which allow them to sting their victims more than once. Killer bees, also known as Africanized Honeybees, are very aggressive and they usually attack in great numbers. As for wasps, one of the most feared characteristics of such insects is their ability to sting their target many times. Like bees, they also inject venom into the skin.
Taking Care of an Insect Sting
1. Identify the insect. It’s very important to know what sort of animal caused injury to your pet. The reason for this is that there are more dangerous creatures around that could harm your animal, including snakes, like rattlesnakes and cottonmouths. If you believe that your pet’s injury was due to a pit viper, bring it to an animal hospital right away.
2. Establish if your pet is exhibiting common signs or experiencing a bad reaction to a sting. A few examples of typical signs that your pet has been stung are: swelling (usually on the eyelids, face, or ear flaps); hives or itchiness; and redness at the bite site. More severe reactions that will require you to bring your dog to a pet hospital include: wheezing or difficulty of breathing (this often occurs when insect bites are on or near the face or muzzle); vomiting; unconsciousness or weak pulse; diarrhea; and palpitations or heart irregularities.
3. Intervention depends on your pet’s reaction to an insect sting. For a pet that’s just experiencing mild symptoms, here are a few things that you should keep in mind. If you observe that a stinger is still embedded in the skin, remove it. Do not press or pinch the area as this only spreads the venom even more. Instead, scrape it off using an item with a flat surface, like a dull blade or an ID card. Clean the area and then make a paste using baking soda and water. Apply the mixture onto the injured site. This will help relieve the pain and itching. You can also put an ice pack and spread calamine lotion. For such conditions, vets usually prescribe antihistamines too. In case your pet is experiencing a severe reaction to an insect sting, bring him to a pet hospital as soon as possible. Your furry friend will need emergency treatment as a severe allergic reaction can cause death.
Epi Pen (Photo credit: Vu What When)
4. Keep an Epi Pen kit handy. If you know that your pet is allergic to insect stings, be sure to keep an Epi Pen with you especially when going hiking or camping. Ask your vet about the proper dosage for your pet.
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License: Creative Commons image source
This blog post was written by Claire Lassiter, a full-time freelancer who likes to blog about pet health issues. She also writes about health impacts due to pest problems, and some of these materials have been used by http://www.rovepestcontrol.com .
