Bee Stings and Spider Bites
Dogs are often stung on the face, head, or inside the mouth when they try to play with bees and wasps. Fur protects most of their bodies, but pets can be bitten or stung on their sparsely furred stomachs or flanks when they blunder into a hive or fire ant nest. Most of the time, the sting or bite only causes minor swelling and redness that can be hard to see under the fu and is itchy or painful.
Some pets can have serious allergic reactions to otherwise harmless insects. It may take only one sting for a dogs muzzle to swell up like a cantaloupe, even if he has been stung on the tail. And in rare instances, the reaction happens on the inside as well, and the pets throat swells and shuts off the air. usually this will happen suddenly, and symptoms include fever or low body temperature, wheezing, trembling, weakness, pale gums, vomiting, diarrhea, rapid breathing and collapse. This is a medical emergence called anaphylactic shock that requires immediate veterinary attention.
If your pet is bitten or stung- first look for symptoms of shock. Pets can die from shock in 10 to 20 minutes unless they get veterinary help. If your dog shows symptoms of shock (listed above), wrap your dog in a warm blanket to keep him warm and turn on the car heater if the weather is cool. You can also put a drop or two of Karo syrup or honey on your pet's gums to help keep him conscious.
If the reaction is not serious (in shock), you can treat the swelling with an over the counter (OTC) remedy. You can give the dog an OTC antihistamine like Benadryl to counteract the swelling. To get the correct dosage, please consult your vet immediately. It's safest to ask your vet about your dogs dosage BEFORE it is actually needed- keep the information in a handy place for when the time comes.
If you can see the stinger, it's best to remove it. Bees leave their stingers behind, and a stinger may continue to pump venom into the body as long as it remains in the skin.
Use a cold pack or compress. This will soothe the pain and help to reduce the swelling and inflammation. Rinse a clean washcloth in cold water and hold it against the swollen area, then place a cold pack or plastic bag of ice on top of the wet cloth. Apply the cold to the swelling for 10 to 30 minutes several times a day. A bag of frozen peas or corn works well as a cold pack and molds to the body contours.
Make a baking soda poultice. This will help neutralize the sting, but this can be messy in fur and isn't very practical unless the sting is on a sparsely furred area. Make a poultice by mixing 1 tablespoon of baking soda with enough water to crate a thick paste and dab it on the swelling.
Stings inside the mouth are difficult to treat, and your pet may not allow you to touch them. You can offer ice cubes for him to lick or a bowl of ice water for him to drink. You can also flush your dogs mouth with a teaspoon of baking soda mixed in a pint of water. Use a turkey baster or a squirt gun to target the sting, but be careful your dog doesn't inhale any of the liquid.
Some pets develop hive-like reactions all over their bodies that cause severe itching. Hives usually go away in 24 hours- sooner when treated with an antihistamine, but you can help relieve the itching with cold-water soaks or an oatmeal bath.
Most spider bites cause painful swelling only at the site and they're treated just like a bee or wasp sting. Some spiders are venomous though, and after the initial sharp pain from the bite, dogs can develop chills, fever, labored breathing and shock within 30 minutes to 6 hours. The treatments used for bee stings will usually work with spider bites, but an injection of antivenim may be necessary (call your vet), and some pets may suffer partial paralysis for days until they recover.
If you suspect your dog has been bitten by a poisonous spider, apply ice immediately to slow the spread of the venom. Put him in a pet carrier or right in the car- don't let him walk or it can speed the spread of the poison. Get the dog to the vet as soon as possible.