Why is a wasp sting dangerous?
A wasp sting does not always lead to unpleasant consequences. It all depends on the location of the lesion, on the animal, in particular, its size. The smaller the pet, the more dangerous the consequences can be. For example, Chihuahuas react extremely painfully to attacks from stinging insects. Yorkies and toy terriers take bites more calmly.
Dog at the veterinarian's appointment
With multiple attacks, the risk of an allergic reaction increases. In rare cases, dogs experience anaphylactic shock, which can have extremely tragic consequences.
Important! It's not so scary if the dog's paw is injured. It is much more dangerous when an insect stings him in the ear or face, and even more so when it flies into his mouth.
How to recognize a wasp sting
A dog was bitten by a bee: what to do at home
A wasp can bite repeatedly; after an attack, unlike a bee, it does not leave a sting. Therefore, there is no need to remove anything from the wound before treatment. You need to look for a swollen place, in the center of which there is a red dot - the site of the skin puncture.
You can tell if a dog has been bitten by wasps by the following signs:
- The animal begins to whine. From the intonation it immediately becomes clear that something is bothering him, that the pet is in pain.
- The bite site is disturbing, it itches, so the dog constantly touches it. To avoid the formation of a wound, and even more so the spread of infection, it must be disinfected. There are antiallergic ointments that are best used as prescribed by a veterinarian. They will remove swelling and relieve unpleasant itching.
- Signs of allergies may appear. They usually occur if the dog is bitten by an insect again.
If a dog sticks his nose into a wasp's nest, then many wasps will immediately attack him. Soon he will weaken and run to his owner for help. There will still be stinging insects in his fur.
The most common places of bites
A wasp can bite an animal on the paw, then the dog will gnaw on them and lick the pads. After all, an itch will appear at the site of the lesion, which the dog will want to get rid of.
How to teach a dog to give paw at home
It is more dangerous if the wasp sting is on the dog’s face. The nose is one of the most painful places. The dog will try to scratch it, it may swell. Animals also take a bite on the lip quite hard. In any case, if your dog is stung in the face or neck, you should contact a veterinarian.
The worst option is if the dog swallows an insect. Then there is a chance that the palate or tongue will suffer. They will begin to swell and swell, which will cause difficulty breathing. If your pet scratches at the damaged areas, it may rub or injure its eyes.
Important! It is necessary to treat the bite site as soon as possible and take measures to eliminate allergies.
A dog after being stung by a bee and other stinging insects
In most cases, insect bites, although painful, do not lead to serious consequences. Timely action taken can relieve pain and reduce swelling.
A dog will not die from a bee sting. A severe reaction can be caused by a large amount of poison and an allergy to it. Against the background of allergies, anaphylactic shock is possible, which can cause the death of the animal.
Reaction to bee and wasp stings
Animals react to painful insect bites in different ways, but the first reaction is whining. Pets experience general weakness, difficulty breathing, increased drooling, and the injection site swells and swells.
If an insect stings their paws, then dogs attempt to chew and lick their paw pads and claws due to itching at the site of the bite. But these areas are less painful and the reaction to bites is less serious than on the face. When bitten in the muzzle area, animals try to rub the eyes and the swollen area with their paws.
The pain of bee stings and other stinging insects depends on the area of the injection. The nose is a particularly painful area. If a bee or wasp stings your dog in the face and neck, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.
All bee and wasp stings should be considered potentially serious, with possible allergy symptoms. Therefore, it is important to monitor your pet for several days after the bite.
It is important to immediately help your pet yourself or by contacting a veterinarian. If the swelling does not subside within a few days, then you need to contact a veterinary clinic.
Situations where a dog has swallowed a bee or wasp should be taken especially seriously. Insects can sting the tongue, which becomes very swollen and blocks the supply of oxygen. Without timely help, the animal may die.
In a small percentage of dogs, after being stung by a bee or wasp, anaphylactic shock occurs, in which the larynx swells, as a result of which breathing becomes difficult and the animal can die from lack of oxygen. Just one bite can be fatal.
Normal reaction to a bite
A cat was bitten by a wasp or a bee: what to do at home
It happens that if a dog is bitten by a wasp, only a slight inflammation occurs at this place. It is slightly itchy and itchy. A single bite is usually harmless to an adult dog, but can cause significant discomfort to a puppy or toy dog. This event will serve as a lesson for the inexperienced animal and in the future it will not want to approach buzzing insects.
If the bite is on the skin, then the most you can expect is a small swelling. It will disappear on its own in a few days. You can eliminate it at home. To prevent its growth, you can apply a cold compress to the damaged area. Ice will do the job best.
You can apply a compress of ground plantain to a wasp-affected paw and bandage it. This will remove swelling and relieve itching, which usually appears after a while, when the wound begins to heal a little. If you have a disinfectant, you should carefully use it to immediately treat the bite site.
You can apply a compress to the paw to relieve swelling
You need to try to prevent the dog from scratching the affected area, this can lead to inflammation and increased discomfort. With a normal reaction, within a week the bite will disappear and no trace of it will remain.
It is more dangerous if the lesion is on the mucous membrane. The close proximity of blood vessels allows the poison to instantly spread throughout the body, having a negative impact on the pet’s well-being.
What else can you do
If a dog is bitten by a wasp or a bee, the assistance provided to her is, in principle, the same as for people. The same actions, the same drugs, the same requirements for quickly completing all manipulations. But there are many such measures, so there is always something at hand from folk remedies that can really help with the problem in question (this does not exclude the need to give the affected animal an antihistamine if necessary):
- You can neutralize the poison using alkaline products (rinse the bite site with a solution of soda 1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water). But since wasp venom already contains alkali, when a wasp bites, the wound is treated with acids (citric, apple cider vinegar solution, etc.);
- wipe the bite with a cotton swab dipped in a solution of ammonia and water or in vodka or alcohol;
- make a honey application - this will draw out the poison;
- anoint the wound with grated parsley, dandelion milk or crushed plantain leaf;
- You can numb the wounded area with onions (apply the cut to the bite).
These methods are simple and effective, and can be repeated many times if necessary.
The most dangerous symptoms
It happens that an acute allergic reaction occurs to a wasp sting. Most often it occurs in representatives of small breeds. Due to its size, the poison spreads rapidly and it only takes a little to cause discomfort and pain to the animal.
Allergic reaction
If the dog tried to eat the wasp, the insect may bite him under the tongue. This is one of the most dangerous places; lymph nodes and a nerve node are located there, which increases pain significantly. This way, the toxic substance instantly spreads throughout the body, and the reaction occurs almost immediately. The animal may begin to choke.
In rare cases, a bite to the neck may cause swelling. As a result, the carotid arteries and trachea may be damaged. It is because of their compression that breathing problems begin and life is threatened. Therefore, if a swelling appears at the site of the bite, the size of which increases, emergency medical attention is required.
Swelling on the face after an insect bite
Important! If you have an allergy, the spot after the bite has a diameter of more than one centimeter. It is red. A rash may appear around the affected area and other parts of the body.
One of the manifestations of allergies is that your pet’s tongue turns purple. This happens when a wasp bites a dog in the face. This means that you cannot hesitate; you must stop the effect of the poison by consulting a specialist.
Signs of anaphylaxis
Anaphylactic shock is a severe reaction of the body to an irritant. It poses a danger to the life of the animal.
It can be recognized by the following symptoms:
- The dog begins to vomit and may experience diarrhea.
- He is in a state of shock, his behavior changes. The owners do not recognize their pet.
- The animal may fall into a coma, before which it will suffer from convulsions.
- The heart beats very quickly, but if you feel the pulse, it will be barely noticeable and very slow.
- The limbs become cold, the gums take on a blue tint.
- Body temperature is rising.
Bite signs and symptoms
There are situations in which the dog owner misses the moment of the bite, in which case it is necessary to determine whether the attack was caused by a bee or a wasp. If a bee suddenly bites a dog for unknown reasons, a sting remains at the site of the wound, periodically pulsating and releasing more and more poison into the blood. During a wasp attack, the bite can be applied several times, but this insect does not leave a sting.
In addition to physical symptoms, the dog’s mood will most likely begin to change - his health will worsen, and his temperature may rise. If a puppy is attacked, it will be easier to identify the bite, since the small pet will whine loudly and ask for help from the owner.
There is a short list of symptoms that will help determine whether a bite has been inflicted:
- the appearance of edema;
- formation of dried blood in the bite area;
- strong temperature fluctuations;
- increased salivation;
- sudden loss of appetite;
- severe fatigue;
- vomiting reflex;
- difficulty breathing;
- the formation of urticaria on the body;
- the appearance of a purple tint on the tongue;
- foaming at the mouth;
- sudden convulsions;
- fainting.
Bite in the face
If a wasp bites a dog in the face as a result of an animal’s aggression, you should urgently contact a veterinarian. It's all about the location of a large amount of soft tissue on the dog's face, as well as the presence of mucous membrane in the mouth area. Often the dog tries to catch an insect with its mouth, not suspecting that it will receive serious injury from a small enemy.
Dogs of small breeds, such as pugs, dachshunds, Pekingese, quinines, etc., suffer most from bites in the face. This problem lies in the manifestation of a high heart rate in small dogs. Accordingly, the poison spreads throughout the body much faster and causes an increase in temperature that accompanies intoxication.
When an animal's muzzle suffers, it is very easy to determine - the dog barks loudly and tries to smooth out the bite site with its paw. In frequent cases, loss of appetite occurs, swelling occurs, and the airways become inflamed.
Bite on the paw
An attack of this kind causes the least harm, however, the animal cannot avoid physical pain. If a dog is bitten on the paw by a wasp, it immediately begins to lick the damaged area, tries not to step on the affected limb, and howls while walking.
Basically, with such a bite, animals get off with mild fear and stress, resulting in general weakness. When a paw is damaged, inflammatory processes occur on it, as a result of which the dog cannot fully stand on the limb.
Bite to the body
If bitten in any area of the body, a wide variety of consequences can occur. Basically, such an attack is accompanied by swelling, hives and general weakness, however, there are situations when the animal loses consciousness or suffers anaphylactic shock. It all depends on the bite area, since the dog’s body has soft tissues that quickly absorb the poison and distribute it throughout the body.
Bite on the tongue area
The most dangerous place for a bite is the tongue area. The fact is that in the sublingual area there is a large number of nerve endings and blood vessels. After being bitten on the tongue, the pet experiences a convulsive reaction and the front muscles begin to contract involuntarily.
In this case, the animal must be placed on its right side and try to calm it down. If the condition does not return to normal within 5 minutes, you should immediately call a veterinarian.
When do you need a veterinarian?
A veterinarian is needed if the dog’s condition worsens, the allergic reaction does not subside, and the dog’s breathing becomes heavy and intermittent. If it seems that the animal is suffocating, then you need to rush to a medical facility.
Important! At the slightest sign of anaphylaxis, you should immediately go to the veterinarian. After all, the pet's life is at risk.
Even if the animal behaves as usual and there are no changes in appearance, it is worth visiting a doctor if you are sure that it was stung in the neck or face. You cannot hesitate if your dog has swallowed a wasp. There is a possibility that the insect did not have time to sting him. But when the dog begins to whine pitifully and tears well up in his eyes, the visit to the clinic cannot be postponed.
