Dogs and Bee Stings

In late summer the bee's are getting a little crazy. Recently I was at a picnic at my friend's house. It started out quite nice, people laughing and having fun, until a little girl was stung by a very ticked off yellow jacket. Not just five minutes later an older gentleman was stung and he was showing signs of anaphylactic shock. Someone called 911 and the rescue squad was on the way. A few moments after the old man was stung, another women was attacked by yet another yellow jacket. OK, now I'm a little freaked, as I know I am allergic to bee's so I stayed well away from the swarm coming out of the ground. Telling you this story reminds me of six years ago or so when my now late Labrador Otis was stung several times by the yellow jackets. He was minding his own business, just walking around the yard when all of a sudden he yip out and starting running. I was over by my barn and saw him but had no idea what had happened. As he ran by me I saw a lot of bee's riding on his back. I grabbed a broom and ran after him, swiping off the bee's. Thank the Lord, he was not allergic to them and I didn't get stung.

If your dog gets stung by a bee, do you what to do? here are some helpful and even life saving suggestions:

1. Allergic reaction - get to your veterinarian immediately if you dog exhibits any of the following symptoms: has difficulty breathing, has difficulty swallowing, exhibits hyperactivity such as excessive yipping, barking, groaning possibly followed by falling or fainting. Bee sting reactions can sometimes mimic seizures and the swelling spreads beyond the sting area.

2. No allergic reaction - Remove the stinger if there is one by scraping the visible portion with a card, fingernail, side of butter knife or other thin object. Pulling on the stinger could cause it to break or even push more of the bee venom into the skin.
If you cannot reach the stinger, leave it, it will eventually be shed out with hair. Place some meat tenderizer or baking soda into a bowl with a small amount of water and mix it into a paste. Apply this to neutralize the spot which will help relieve pain and swelling. Keep it on for at least 30 minutes. You may have to wrap some cloth around the area to prevent licking. Afterwards, you can simply rinse it off with plain water. You can place an ice cube on the site for a few minutes to relieve the pain, this really helps. Benadryl can be given as well, check with your vet for the proper dosage.