If you let your dog outside, you’ll observe how dogs love to explore nature. Due to their heavy curiosity, they investigate, chase, and sniff things that caught their attention even though they shouldn’t have to. It is their natural behavior. However, such curiosity can sometimes cause unfortunate events like ending up with your dog getting stung by a bee.
Generally, bees are not aggressive. They will not attack a dog out of nowhere. However, they might see the nosiness of the dog as a threat to their colony even though the dog doesn’t really have an intention to hurt them. As a result, bees might sting the dog as their defense mechanism.
If you want to know more things that are related to bee stings in dogs, then you are at the right place!
What Is A Bee Sting?
Stinging is the defense mechanism of bees wherein a stinger is poked through the skin. If the stinger has barbed like in honeybees, it will get stuck in the skin if the bee flies away resulting in the death of the bee. But if the stinger doesn’t have barbs like in bumblebees, it can sting multiple times without dying.
Bee Stings On Dogs
Bee stings are seasonal because they often occur only when the temperature is warm enough for bees to forage out. Generally, bee stings on dogs swell in the affected area with localized pain and irritation
Where Are Dogs Most Likely To Get Stung?
Primarily, dogs love to explore nature using their strong sense of smell. In fact, they have what we call neophilia, which means they are attracted to odors that are new and interesting to them.
Therefore, the part of their body that would most likely have physical contact with a bee is their snout. In that case, they have a higher chance to get stung in that area.
Sometimes, if a dog gets stung, it may have an urge to fight back and catch the bees using its mouth. If that happens, the dog may also be stung in its mouth only of course if the bee specie that it encountered could sting multiple times.
Aside from the dog’s snout and mouth, their feet could also be stung by a bee if it accidentally steps it.
Are Bee Stings Dangerous To Dogs?
In most cases, a bee sting is not a serious situation. A dog that has been stung might feel a small amount of pain and get irritated. But don’t be too complacent because bee stings could also be dangerous because of the venom and most especially the allergic reaction that it might cause.
How Can A Bee Sting Be Dangerous To Dogs?
In bee stings, it is not the wound itself that is causing the pain but the poison injected by the bee. As the bee stung the dog, the venom sack will remain on the dog’s skin. As soon as possible, the stinger should be removed especially if the dog was stung by not one, but several bees. It is because there are few cases where dogs die from being stung multiple times which releases more venom.
More dangerously, the airways of the dog could be blocked by swelling if its mouth was stung. This will prevent the dog from being able to breathe freely.
Signs That A Dog Was Stung By A Bee
You may not notice if your dog gets stung by a bee while letting it play outside. But there are several signs that you could observe to give you a hint that they might have been stung.
First, they might feel a burning pain because of the sting, which may cause them to whine. Pay attention if the dog looks anxious or is trying to bite a specific area in its body. The specific area that has been stung could also swell. You could also notice it holding up or pawing at the affected area.
Signs That A Dog Is Having An Allergic Reaction When Stung By A Bee
Just like some people, some dogs have allergies to venom from bee stings. If a dog happens to have an allergic reaction, it may vomit, breathe rapidly or difficultly, feel weak, collapse, swell excessively around the sting, or have diarrhea and pale gums.
Take note that if your dog is experiencing any of these signs, the best action to do is to contact your veterinarian immediately to check the condition of your dog.
What To Do If A Dog Has Been Stung
If your dog has been stung, remove the stinger carefully using tweezers. You can apply baking soda with water to the affected area and then put an ice pack to relieve pain and swelling. Don’t forget to give fresh water to your dog and observe their condition.
Bee Sting Recovery Time For Dogs
Most often, dogs would only need a day to be fully recovered from a bee sting or minor allergic reaction. Therefore, it is not really necessary to rest your dog and limit its movements. But if the condition of the dog doesn’t improve, make sure to let your veterinarian know.
What Can You Do To Prevent Bees From Stinging Your Dog?
It is impossible to fully prevent bee stings from happening, especially if the dog is staying outside. But you can keep your dog away from flower beds to avoid getting stung since it is where bees hover. It is also important to teach your dog to obey you so that you will easily call and stop it if you see it chasing bees.
Summary
If a dog came in contact and provoked the bees even though it was just curious about those flying insects, bees might sting the dog. Therefore, if you see your dog chasing a bee, call it and divert its attention. Although most cases of a bee sting in dogs are not so serious and can heal within the day, it is better to take precautions because it can sometimes be dangerous due to the poison and allergic reaction that it might cause.
