Just like us dogs and cats can get stung by bees and wasps, and as you’ll know if it’s happened to you, it’s never pleasant.
Stings are painful and irritating. If your pet gets stung they will be distressed, but it will pass with time.
However, the big danger is that, also like humans, our pets can be allergic to stings, which could mean they go into anaphylactic shock.
Humans who know they’re allergic carry around an epipen – but our pets don’t have that option! So we need to be on the lookout for symptoms and their severity. If you have any doubt about whether your pet is allergic or if the symptoms seem severe or aren’t passing, please do get in touch with us immediately.
What you can do if your pet gets stung
Dogs have a tendency to explore the world with their mouths, which isn’t ideal when it comes to wasps and bees! If a dog gets stung in its mouth or throat it can be serious as the swelling can block their airway. If this happens, bring them in to see us immediately.
In our experience it’s more common for cats to be stung on their paws, which should hopefully be less serious as long as your pet isn’t allergic. If your pet gets stung and is allergic, the symptoms can include vomiting, difficulty breathing, excessive swelling at the site of the sting, diarrhoea and collapse.
First, it is important to remain calm, as the more distressed your pet gets, the hotter they become and the harder they will find it to breathe. You can try and remove the sting if you can find it, which may be difficult, especially if your pet has thick fur.
It’s crucial to keep your pet cool. As your pet becomes distressed their temperature will rise which can exacerbate the symptoms. Use a cold flannel on the area of the swelling and make sure you have the air conditioning on in the car when you are bringing them in to see us.
You may have heard that over the counter antihistamines can work with pets, but we do not recommend this course of action.
There’s no evidence they work and some of the ingredients can be toxic to pets. Bring them in to see us and we will supply you with what you need.
If you have any questions about your pet, you can message us today on PetsApp and our team will be happy to help.
