Bee Sting Remedies
Updated: 05/05/2008
Do you know how you would react and what action you would take if your pet was stung by a bee? It's hard to say what you would do because if it has never happened to your pet, you would have no way of knowing exactly how they would react to the situation. But just like humans, many pets are allergic to bee stings and it's frightening to think about what could happen if you did not act quickly.
Let's go through a few options for treating that bee sting based on some different scenarios.
Your first priority should be to remove the stinger from your pet, as it will be left behind. Even though the bee has gone it is possible that the stinger is still seeping poison into your pet so you want to remove it as soon as possible. Use something with a bit of a sharper edge to scrape the stinger free from the skin.
Your next step is to ensure that your pet is breathing properly. The poison from a bee sting can cause a pet to go into anaphylactic shock and you will know the signs of it if your pet appears weak, is trembling, vomiting, has diarrhea, is breathing quickly, wheezing, has pale gums, fever or actually collapses. Hopefully this situation does not present itself, but if it does time will critical at this point and you will want to get your pet emergency help immediately. During this time make sure you keep your pet warm and help to keep him or her conscious by putting some Karo Syrup or Honey on their gums.
If the scenario we just discussed does not occur it is still likely that the sting will result in some swelling. If so, there are a number of things that you can do to help reduce the swelling and relieve your pet of its discomfort. You can use an over the counter antihistamine by administering 1 milligram for every pound of body weight, so a ten- pound animal would get about 3/4 of a teaspoon. You can also dab the antihistamine directly onto the site of the sting. You will probably need to repeat the dose every six to eight hours.
You can also sooth your pet's pain by administering a cold pack to the affected area for approximately ten to thirty minutes several times a day. Or another option is to make a Baking Soda Poultice. Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with enough water to create a thick paste and dab the mixture onto the swelled area. This could be a little bit messy if you are treating an area with thick or long hair so you may want to trim the area a bit beforehand.
BENADRYL
13 YEA
[YEA] 05/05/2008: Geralyn from San Jose, California writes: "Thank you for helping me out because my 2 year old dog was stung by a bee today. She is only 5lbs so i gave her benadryl. However, I was wondering since she was stung on her left leg (she is limping on it - not using it to walk AT ALL!) will that ever go away? If so, how many days will it take for her leg to work normally again?"Reply to this Feedback E-mail this Feedback Print this Feedback Back to Top
[YEA] 11/21/2007: Victoria from Anaheim , CA writes: "My little 9 lb terripoo got stung by a bee this morning while we were in the backyard. She yelped in pain and I saw the bee on her foot. I took her inside and washed the wound w/ soap and water and googled info asap. I came across your site and found these helpful remedies. I ran to the store and got her benadryl right away. She seems to be a bit groggy now but I believe she will be better in no time. Thanks so much for the valuable information!"
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[YEA] 09/26/2007: Buffy from Mount Tremper, NY writes: "Sitting here with my great dane/lab mix, thirty minutes after giving her benedryl for an apparent bee sting. She woke us up tonight vomiting, and my daughter noticed her jowl area was swollen. My husband immediately admistered the tablet , but she threw it up. She has finally kept this tablet down, and is now starting to get sleepy. My concern was her starting to have difficulty breathing, but so far, only some severe drooling. Thank God for Benedryl, indeed."
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[YEA] 08/25/2007: Karen (shadrak@ccf.org) from Independence, OH writes: "Thank you sooo much for your website. My 4 mo old puppy was stung by hornets during his morning walk. The dosage of benedryl was a lifesaver! I contacted the emergency ver, and they would not tell me anything!!! Just wanted me to bring him in...no suggestions or dosages, said they would be "liable".!! I applied the baking soda (not easy to do on puppy) and ice pack (easier), then gave him a dose of the liquid benedryl. So far, swelling is going down, and he appears to be fine. Again, thanks for the information!!"
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[YEA] 08/23/2007: Diana from Atlanta, GA, USA writes: "I, too, can vouch for the wonders of Benadryl, for dogs, people, and horses alike. I'd like to add that, having been stung on multiple occasions by wasps, I've found that a warm, wet teabag applied to the area of the sting will usually keep the pain at bay (I think it's the tannins in the tea). I don't know if it has the same effect on bee stings, but I've used it (in combo w/ Benadryl) on my dogs when they've been stung, and it really seemed to help. Thanks for your site!"
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[YEA] 08/12/2007: William A. Crissey Ph.D. (bcrissey@enbarqmail.com) from Waynesboro, Pa. writes: "Your article on pet treatment for bee stings was very informative.I learned a few new remedies I didn't know about. I knew about benadryl for humans and baking soda paste , but wasn't sure about the amount needed for cats and dogs ! Thank You very much for this great information ! Bill Crissey Ph.D., A.S.E.,U.S.D.O.D."
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[YEA] 07/30/2007: michael from santa rosa, ca writes: "we were running our puppy Buster out in the field, and he stepped on a bee. he was stung on his leg and it swelled up.we ran to the computer and found your website. My wife applied ice while i ran to the store to get benadryl and baking soda. we gave him 8mg of benadryl and applied baking soda paste to his leg, he improved dramatically. thank you so much for your great treatment information."
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[YEA] 07/12/2007: Keith (Agribees@yahoo.com) from West Richland, Washington writes: "I've got a beekeeping business in WA state, and today my 16 week old bird dog was stung at least 25 times by honey bees.. This isn't my first experience with animals and bee stings, and the best thing that I`ve found yet is the liquid benadryl. The dogs seem to prefer the grape flavor, and will lap it right out of a saucer. It`s also much easier to judge the dosage, and seems to act a little faster than the tablets. Time is very important when dealing with animals, and benadryl has not failed me yet.."
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[YEA] 07/07/2007: Kathy from Longview, Texas writes: "Our schnauzer was stung this afternoon by a bee on his stomach (the stinger was still protruding) and we had no idea what to do. I tend to google everything, and I frantically ran to my computer, looking for answers. I am SO glad that we found your site. We made the baking soda poultice and gave him 25 mg of the Benadryl. He seems to be doing great now, but I also now know what to do in case he would have had an allergic reaction. We never would have known what to do had we not found your site. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
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[YEA] 06/05/2007: kim from evansville, indiana writes: "re: benadryl for puppy bee sting -- just wanted to thank you for the dosing info on the benadryl. ive heard it could be used for a puppy bee sting but when my 7 mo old puppy came to me with her nose and eyes swollen i was in a panic not knowing how much to give her thanks for the info!!"
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[YEA] 02/25/2007: Pam from Port Richey, FL writes: "I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart. From you site I learned that benadryl might help my dog with her struggle to breath and help the swelling after multiple wasp stings was a life saver. Other sites told to use Benadryl, but not how much. The 1 mg per 1 lb was the key to saving my dog's life - thank you!!"
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[YEA] 02/17/2007: Judy from San Diego, CA writes: "My 14-lb. miniature poodle stepped on a bee today [back foot] and ran into the house holding the "offending" foot high in the air, then repeatedly licking it. I immediately made a baking soda paste in a small dish and immersed his foot it it. After 1/2 or so, I left to run over to the store and when I came back, saw that he had vomited partially digested food he had eaten after I left. He also developed some red patches on his belly that he kept trying to scratch, kept drinking lots of water, and panted loudly and rapidly. I checked online and found this website, administered a finger-tip of benadryl from my 25 mg. capsules, his panting has ceased and he is relaxing. Not a direct weight-dose correlation to a 125-lb. dog but reassuring that benadryl can be used, cautiously. Thanks."
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[YEA] 09/13/2006: JD from Mesa, AZ writes: "As a former Firefighter/EMT we used to treat anaphylaxis in the field with epinephrine or Benadryl. I am allergic to bee stings and have had to use this several times. One day my lab/mastiff came into our house and was beginning to show signs of swelling. A few seconds later she began to look like a sharpei. I immediately gave her a dose of 25mg of benadryl and saw most of the swelling go down. Because my dog weighs 125lbs, I gave her a second dose of 25mg of benadryl and saved her life for the second time (once when she had Parvo I kept her alive with antibiotics and IV fluids). Epinephrine is the prefered drug for treating anaphylaxis, however this must be obtained through a prescription, which you can get for dogs, but if you need a great OTC treatment, benadryl works very well. Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening problem and if not treated immediately you can loose your pet. Be careful how much of a dose you give your pet as some small animals can OD."
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READER FEEDBACK
2 YEA
[YEA] 08/14/2007: Brandi from Orange County, California writes: "My dachshund was stung by a bee over the weekend. She was limping, wouldn't eat, vomited a lot of yellow liquid, and had a rash on her belly and chest. We didn't know what was wrong so we took her to the hospital. They diagnosed her immediately with anaphylactic shock and began treatment with an IV. She needed to be kept overnight for observation and for a plasma transfusion because she her blood was not clotting. $1,400 later she is back to normal. We are so glad that we took her to the hospital as soon as we did."Reply to this Feedback E-mail this Feedback Print this Feedback Back to Top
[YEA] 06/26/2007: cathy (cathy@scotchplainsnj.com) from scotch plains, new jersey writes: "Thank you for your great informatin on how to treat your dog if he should have a bee sting. We had no idea what to do and your article was so helpful! Thank you so much!!!!"
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