Dogs and Bee Stings: More Than Just a Painful Buzz
Most bee stings cause only temporary pain and mild swelling, but some dogs can develop a more serious allergic reaction. Vomiting and diarrhoea can be warning signs and should not be ignored.
Signs of a Mild Reaction
- Pain or sensitivity at the sting site
- Mild localised swelling
- Licking, chewing or pawing at the area
- Limping or holding up a paw
- Mild drooling
What to Do
If your dog appears otherwise well and the reaction is mild, check the area for a bee sting. Bees can leave a barbed sting and venom sac behind; wasps do not leave a sting and may sting more than once.
If a sting is visible, gently scrape it sideways with the edge of a bank card. Avoid squeezing it with your fingers or tweezers because this may push more venom into the skin.
Apply a cold, damp cloth or a wrapped cold pack for a few minutes to help reduce discomfort and swelling. Monitor your dog closely because an allergic reaction can develop rapidly or be delayed for several hours.
Contact a Vet Immediately If Your Dog Develops:
- Vomiting or diarrhoea
- Rapid or severe swelling
- Swelling around the face, mouth, neck or throat
- Difficulty breathing, wheezing or unusually rapid breathing
- Hives or a widespread raised rash
- Excessive drooling
- Weakness, wobbliness, disorientation or collapse
- Severe lethargy or agitation
- Multiple stings
A sting inside the mouth or throat is particularly dangerous because swelling may obstruct the airway. Do not wait for breathing problems to develop—contact a vet straight away.
Antihistamines
Antihistamines can sometimes be used for mild reactions, but contact your vet before giving any medication. Your vet must confirm that the particular product is suitable and provide the correct dose for your dog.
Do not rely on Piriton or another antihistamine when a dog has vomiting, breathing difficulty, collapse, severe swelling or another sign of a serious reaction. Anaphylaxis is an emergency and requires immediate veterinary treatment.
Never give a combination cold, flu or decongestant product. Some human medicines contain additional active ingredients that can be dangerous to dogs.
What Happened to My Dog
If you had asked me whether a bee sting could cause vomiting in a dog, I would once have said, “Surely not.” That changed after one of my dogs stepped on a bee and later spent the evening unable to keep his dinner or water down.
Apart from some initial discomfort, he seemed relatively normal after the sting. Later, he vomited his dinner and continued being sick. At first, I wondered whether he had eaten something he should not have, but as the vomiting continued, I took him to the emergency vet.
It was only afterwards that I connected the illness with the sting earlier that day. Vomiting can indeed form part of an allergic reaction to bee venom in dogs.
At the veterinary surgery he was given Cerenia to control the vomiting and buprenorphine for pain relief. He later had an upset stomach but otherwise returned to normal. These medicines were selected and administered by the vet for his individual circumstances.
Bee stings are usually a minor inconvenience, but this experience showed me that they can sometimes cause much more than a swollen paw.
Julie Growcott
Further information
PDSA: Insect Bites and Stings in Dogs
