Dogs and Bee Stings

The most common signs that your doggie friend has been stung by a bee are: swelling, redness and
pain around the affected area. Most of the time, all that is needed to bring Fido some relief is a simple
ice-pack held to the affected area, however, dogs that have more severe reactions to bee stings will
most likely need immediate veterinary care. The signs of severe reactions include: weakness
(including fainting), shortness of breath, significant swelling (away from the site of the sting) and over
anxious behavior. Vets are well equipped to deal with severe bee stings and may use a fast-acting
injectable medication such as steroids, antihistamine or adrenaline to help your pet.

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.

A few days ago my sister told me that her dog, Lefty, was stung
by a bee while playing outside. This bit of news got me
thinking….would I know what to do if one of my dogs was stung?
What type of reaction(s) should I look for?

I did a little research and here is what I found:

The significance of a sting depends on the type of insect, the
location of the sting and of course, how your pet reacts to the
venom (not all dogs have the same reaction). If your dog is stung
by a generic Honeybee, you must (if possible) remove the stinger
from your pet. The Honeybee has a barbed stinger which imbeds
itself into the victim. The stinger can be removed by gently
scraping with a credit card or other blunt object. DO NOT pull the
stinger out with tweezers! Using tweezers often results in
additional venom being squeezed in the skin!