You might not appreciate bees and you might be allergic to them, but are dogs allergic to bees or is this something you need not worry about?
Are Dogs Allergic to Bees?
A lot of dogs spend a good part of time outdoors, especially in warmer weather. Because dogs love to explore their territory and because they are curious and playful, it’s not unusual for a dog to be bitten by insects or even be stung by a bee. But are dogs allergic to bees? If you witness or suspect your dog was stung by a bee what can you do?
What If My Dog Gets a Bee Sting?
Just like if you get stung by a bee, if you see your dog get stung by a bee or think they may have been stung, the first thing to do is to look for and take out the stinger. The stinger will appear as a small black speck on your dog’s paw or other area where they were stung. You can use tweezers to pull the stinger out, scrape a credit card across the area, or even brush it off with a small towel. It’s probably better not to remove the stinger with your bare finger.
Once you’ve removed the stinger from your dog, you can mix some baking soda with water and spread the paste over the affected area. This will provide some relief for your dog and will also help to draw out any bee venom that may be in the area.
You may see some swelling in the affected area along with redness and your dog may scratch, lick, or even nibble at the bee sting site. Just like with humans, a bee sting can cause symptoms for your dog such as pain, swelling, redness, and intense itching for several days. You can apply an OTC antihistamine cream to relieve the itching. For more intense symptoms, contact your vet about the proper amount of an OTC oral antihistamine.
How Do I Know If My Dog Gets Stung by a Bee?
Some dogs may even have a bad habit of catching flies or other insects in mid-air. Since and dogs can’t tell the difference between flies and bees, they may actually catch a bee in their mouth! I’ve owned several dogs that do this and it freaks me out every time. If I see my dog chasing one, I try to discourage him from catching it, but sometimes he gets it anyway.
When my dog catches a bee in his mouth, sometimes he will shake his head for a few minutes or run to his water dish and lap up some water. Fortunately, he hasn’t had a severe reaction when this has happened.
But some dogs could be highly allergic to bees and have a more severe reaction to bees. If your dog is stung in the mouth, neck, or head or gets stung multiple times by bees, swelling from anaphylactic shock can cause your dog’s throat to close and put him in grave danger. If you observe any severe reaction in your dog from a bee sting or any other insect sting such as wasps or hornets, seek immediate assistance from your vet.