When a dog is stung by a bee they tend to have the same types of reactions that a person would have. The infected area is very painful and begins to swell, and depending on the amount of venom either can have a severe allergic reaction to the sting.
The only difference between a dog getting bitten and a person is that the person can give you detailed information on how they feel and exactly what is going on within their body. Your dog can only tell you what is going on by giving your tell tale signs and displaying the symptoms that you need to identify to diagnose and have him treated.
Treating bee stings in dogs will always begin with you trying to determine if your dog is having any signs of an allergic reaction. You want to identify any signs quickly because of the severity of the situation, and if your dog goes into shock you are dealing with a life threatening situation. You always want to keep a close eye on your dog as you closely examine the infected area and try to remove the stinger the bee left behind. Even after the stinger has fallen off the bee, it will continue to slowly pump venom into the dog which can increase his discomfort and increase the chance for an allergic reaction. To treat this bee sting properly you must remove the stinger as soon as you can.
When treating bee stings in dogs, you have to identify if this is an emergency or if your pet is experiencing discomfort and simply needs to be treated and healed from home. You have removed or locate the stinger. Keep a very close eye on his behavior during these important minutes. If he continues to bite, bark and scratch but shows no signs of slowing down, you want to apply some form of cold compress to the area and try to calm the dog down. If his behavior stays the same, he most likely is not having a reaction to the venom and you can continue to treat the swelling with cold until you see a reduction in the redness and he begins to act normal.
During the initial phases of the bee sting, if you see your dog becoming increasingly sluggish, followed by heavy breathing, you have to contact the veterinarian hospital immediately. These symptoms can progress to seizures, excessive barking and even your dog losing consciousness. If your dog exhibits any of these signs you need to be on the way to the hospital immediately. Treating these symptoms with cold compresses will only slightly help your dogs discomfort, he needs to see professional help so they can prescribe medication that will reduce the swelling and the pain. You need to remain calm and keep your dog calm as you make your way to the doctor.
If you have diagnosed the situation is not an emergency or life threatening, treating the bee sting from home can be done in a number of ways. Once the stinger has been removed, applying cold to the area will reduce the swelling. Applying a baking soda paste will act to neutralize the acid in the venom, and begin to ease your dogs pain. If your dog was stung inside the mouth, you want to monitor the swelling very carefully. The infected area can swell to the point of blocking the airway, and that is deadly. Closely watch the swelling in the mouth until you notice it beginning to diminish.
