The four-legged friend has just been romping around happily in the garden. In the next moment, he howls in pain. What happened? A bee or wasp has stung the dog.
In most cases, this scenario will be completely harmless. In rare cases, such a bite can be dangerous for your dog.
That’s why it’s important to know exactly what to do if your dog is stung by a bee, wasp, or hornet.
First aid: what to do if your dog is stung by a bee or wasp?
- Remove the sting
- Cool the sting site
- If there is a bite in the mouth, consult a veterinarian
- Observe the possible allergic reaction
These are the four most important first aid tips that you can implement immediately.
How dangerous is a wasp sting for a dog?
Many four-legged friends love to go insect hunting in summer. This often has painful consequences.
If you realize your dog has been bitten, stay calm. Try to calm your dog down. Because most animals are frightened when they are stung by a bee.
Some dogs even run away in panic. If your pet is very skittish or nervous, it may make sense to put it on the leash.
Remove the sting
Then find the sting site. Most of the time, you can spot the spot easily because the dog licks the spot. Swelling is relatively easy to feel.
Examine the area and see if the spike is still there. If you get a bee sting, you need to remove it completely. A pair of tweezers will help here.
A cut onion or vinegar water help against the first pain. You can then cool the sting site. The pain will usually be forgotten just a few minutes later.
Did you know that bees can only sting once? They die after the sting because the sting gets stuck. Wasps, on the other hand, can sting multiple times. Your sting doesn’t necessarily get stuck.
Distinguish bees from wasps
At first glance, you may find it difficult to tell bees and wasps apart.
Both insects warn potential attackers of their poison with a yellow and black-ringed body. But don’t confuse these two insects with hoverflies.
- Bees can be recognized by their rather brown bodies. They are “chubby” but smaller than bumblebees.
- Bumblebees are the harmless sisters of bees. Although they have a sting, they would rather bite.
- Wasps have a clearly articulated body that appears slender. The yellow is more intense than that of bees.
- Hornets are wasps’ big sisters. The hornet’s body is about five to ten times larger than a wasp.
- Hoverflies look like small wasps. However, they are completely harmless and have no sting.
Bees and wasps are useful insects. It’s hard to believe when you’ve been bitten yourself. The fact is, without bees the world we live in would not exist. Because bees pollinate the flowers of many plants.
Wasps feed on carrion and other insects, among other things. The fun stopped for me with a wasp nest on the awning of our balcony. I had the fire department remove the wasp nest.
Before the specialists arrived, I had to get permission from the environmental agency. Wasps are one of the protected insect species. Their nests are only destroyed if they pose a high risk to humans.
Allergic reaction to a bee sting in dogs
Your dog may react to an insect bite with an allergic shock.