One Spring morning, two Dachshund pups were playfully exploring their fenced yard when Rudy caught Abigail off guard and bounded at her from behind the rose bushes.  As Abby took a tumble landing dazed and confused, a bumble bee buzzed passed her.  The twosome, quickly distracted by this new found fun, attempted to play a game of pounce with the tiny buzzing creature.  Fun did ensue for a few moments, but it then turned nasty as the bee planted his stinger right onto the tip of Rudy’s nose!  The pup pawed furiously at his face, and as it began to swell, Rudy started looking more like a Bulldog than a Doxie!

Generally, animals paw at and remove the insect’s stinger, but should you see one through your pet’s fur coat (or on his nose, lip, paw or elsewhere), scrape it away with a credit card, popsicle stick or similar stiff object.   Pulling the stinger with fingers or tweezers could rupture the poison sac allowing the toxin to enter your pet’s body.

1. Administer 1 mg Benadryl per pound of your dog or cat’s body weight, and
2. Apply a cold pack (a bag of frozen peas works well) to any swelling.
3. Should severe swelling or any breathing difficulties develop, get to your Veterinarian at once. Do NOT delay!

Once your dog has experienced an extreme reaction to a bee sting, your veterinarian may prescribe an epi-pen (one dose of epinephrin measured according to your pooch’s weight) to have on hand.  Ask your veterinarian for specific instructions as to how to inject (generally in the outer thigh) and if a veterinary visit is still in order even if you use the epi-pen.  Some dogs may still go into anaphylactic shock (a severe allergic reaction) when the epinephrin wears off.