A Christmas Working Bee

Christmas day was a busy buzzy day at this clinic. Five dogs were seen that day and every single case was because of a bee sting! Hard to beelieve?

Bee stings can, as in people, cause an array ofreactions. Most are relatively harmless, but some can be serious and even life threatening.

The pain from a sting can be pretty intense, aswe all know. Dogs are sometimes brought into vets thinking they have broken a leg that turns out to be a sting in the foot. When a dog is screaming, won’t put its foot down, and is giving their owner the death stare (“why did you do this to me”) its understandable that a broken leg is suspected.

So what type of reaction can develop? Often it’s just a bit of redness and puffiness around the sting itself. Some dogs will develop hypersensitivity reactions.

This is where the immune system reacts excessively, and one usually sees lots of raised circular bumps over the body and face. The face of some dogs can puff up so much that it looks like their appointment with the cosmetic surgeon for collagen injections went horribly wrong!

More severe reactions can occur, fortunately not very often.

A sting in the mouth can result in drooling and breathing difficulties, and if this happens your vet should be contacted immediately.

A recent case seen was after a dog actually swallowed a bee. She collapsed and passed large volumes of blood from her back end.

Fortunately she survived, but it really didn’t look like she would make it at one stage. If your dog has been stung, watch him or her closely and if worried, contact your vet. Most dogs will BEE fine.

Warm wishes for the new year and bee safe!

By Welcome Bay Vet Clinic