How To Alleviate The Pain Of Dog Bee Stings
Dog bee stings happen fairly regularly in the summertime, but you must realize that as these stings can be as painful to your dog as they are to you when you get stung.
When sitting outside during “bug season” you will always see your pet “playing” with bugs by snapping at them. They may be trying to play with their prey before they kill it or just trying to get the bug away from them. We really have no way of knowing, but what we do know is that this way of playing can lead to stings in our pets’ mouths, which can be very painful.
If your dog gets stung, you’ll probably realize it right away. He’ll be whining and pawing at his mouth. He may even starting salivating a lot more than usual, which can be upsetting as it tends to froth and foam.
There are several options to help relieve the pain of dog bee stings:
If your dog is stung by a bee or wasp, one option to make your dog more comfortable is to mix baking soda and water. The combination of 1 tablespoon baking soda to 2 pints water should be applied every 10 minutes until pain is gone. If your dog should lick the sting area or swallow the baking soda mixture, do not worry, this solution is not harmful.
You can also directly apply Ammoniated quinine to the area.
If your dog is acting really agitated, you might try to give him some potassium bromide to calm him down, however, most dogs take a bee sting in stride.
Once your dog has been stung by a bee or wasp and you can see the stinger, gently try removing the stinger with tweezers.
It’s perfectly alright to bring your dog to the vet for a professional examination of the area. She might decide to administer a shot of anti-histamine to you dog to reduce some of the swelling and itching, and keep systematic disturbances at bay.
Dog bee stings are just part and parcel of the summer experience, unfortunately. Dogs can get lucky - snapping at bees buzzing by may not necessarily mean your dog will be stung. Once I owned a dog that chased bees every moment he was outside and he was never stung (to my knowledge). But it never hurts to know what to do for your dog, just in case of a painful sting.
