Dogs and Bee/Wasp stings (long)

16 years ago

My dog Lily, german shepherd/herding dog mix, was stung by a bee/wasp yesterday and had a reaction. She and Rocky were playing when I noticed her chewing frantically at her paw ... I went over to her and there was a dead bee/wasp on the ground by her.

She is always snapping at buzzing flying things! So I took her paw and ducked it in cold water to wash off some mud and looked for a stinger, but didn't find anything.

We then went over to the barn, I was going to clean stalls when she started pooping suddenly (soft poop, not liquid) and acting very strange. I ran into the house and got 2 Benadryl and a Pill Pocket and put them in her mouth ... she wasn't interested in eating it, which is totally unlike her too. So I forced it into the back of her throat and made her swallow it.

Then I ran to get my Dog/cat First Aid book and read about them going into shock. Her gums looked pale and she was really not herself, so I sat with her for 15 - 20 minutes until I thought she was "coming back to herself" ... if you get what I am saying. A while later she was fine.

So now what? As I said, she's always snapping at buzzing flying things ... from my experience with my donkeys ... they have reactions to some of their annual shots. Their reactions got worse over time and they now get a Benadryl type shot first to ward off the reactions.

If she gets stung again, is it going to be worse ... so I'll have to rush her to the emergency vet? Living in a rural area, the emergency vet is a good 1/2 hour drive away. Plus she weighs 85 lbs, my adrenaline would have to really be surging for me to get her into my truck.

So what do I do? Give her more Benadryl if it happens again? I'm thinking that she does get stung once a year, if memory serves me right ... this is the 1st time I've seen a reaction.

I am seeing my regular vet this weekend, so I'll ask them too ...

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Comments (5)

prairie_love
16 years ago
We had a dog that was allergic to wasps. We almost lost her to anaphylactic shock one time. The vet gave us an epinephrine syringe to carry with us especially when we were camping. Talk to your vet, I suspect they will set you up with an emergency kit.
calliope
16 years ago
Exactly. I am a nurseryman by trade and never was allergic to bee and wasp stings until I'd been stung so many times tending to outdoor plantings. I am rxed an epi syringe. An 85 pound dog should be an easy injection. You may want to keep benedryl on-hand in liquid or injectable form too instead of pills because it's taken into the system quicker than waiting for tablets to dissolve. I keep pediatric liquid benedryl always in the medicine cabinet instead of immediately injecting with epi. It's saved me several trips to the ER. Good, quick thinking, BTW on getting a dose in the dog.
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pamghatten
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks both of you ... I wondered about an epi pen ... I'm supposed to have one since I have allergies and asthma ... but the one I had expired and I didn't refill it.

I do have liquid Benedryl also, figured it would be easier getting the pills in her mouth .. but will do the liquid next time. And now that she's had a reaction, the next time I see her stung she will get the Benedryl immediately.

Will talk to the vet on Saturday ... glad I was thinking correctly, fast on my feet!
calliope
16 years ago
" I wondered about an epi pen ... I'm supposed to have one since I have allergies and asthma ... but the one I had expired and I didn't refill it."

Well, I'm not your Mama, but I'm gonna tell you what you already know. Get your Rx for your own allergies filled while you're at it. It only takes ONCE Pam to get yourself into a sticky situation with anaphylaxis. It happened to me once. It was before I had the script for an epi pen. I dragged myself outside and sat in my drive gasping to wait for the squad so they'd be sure to find my body if I passed out first. I was alone and no way could I have driven myself to the ER in the shape I was in. And when the syptoms start, you don't have any guarantee how quickly they'll progress. Here me? ;-)
pamghatten
Original Author
16 years ago
LOL Calliope! Thanks Mom! :>)

Let me explain .. it wasn't me personally that required an epi-pen ... my allergist decided that every patient they have should have one. So with one broad stroke, they wrote prescriptions for EVERYONE to have one. My allergies are minor and so is my asthma ... I haven't used an inhaler for years. Even the nurses roll their eyes when they ask if I need the epi-pen prescription refilled.

But I'll get it refilled now if my Lily can use it too! :>)