- When the weather warms up, is there anything better
than enjoying the outdoors with your dog?
Hiking, gardening, planting flowers.
But with the outdoors, comes bees
and bees have a tendency to sting,
especially when your dog finds them
an interesting thing to check out.
Hi, I'm Evan from Dogs Naturally.
And today, I'm going to tell you how to help your dog
if he has been stung by a bee.
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- [Evan] Some dogs eat bees and get stung in the mouth.
Other times, dogs might get stung by a bee
on their paw or their nose.
You might worry your dogs allergic to bee stings.
So what does it look like when your dog gets stung by a bee?
What can you do when your dog gets stung?
And how do you treat a bee sting on a dog?
The easiest way to tell if your dog's been stung by a bee
is to watch for signs of swelling on his face or body.
Your dog might even tell you something's wrong
if he's pawing at his face
or whatever spot his body was stung on.
We all know dogs are curious,
so faces are a common place to get a bee sting.
Pads are another likely spot to get stung
when dogs step on a bee,
so you'll likely see him holding his paw.
If your dog has never been stung by a bee,
you don't know if he's allergic or not,
so what signs are you looking for?
If your dog swallows a bee or gets stung in the mouth,
the area can swell up and block his breathing.
This is an emergency
and you need to get to a vet right away.
Not all dogs will have the same reaction.
So, here are some other severe symptoms
to look out for.
Difficulty breathing.
Watch for swelling around the face and neck.
Profuse drooling, dizziness,
agitation or disorientation,
weakness or difficulty walking,
seizures, vomiting or diarrhea.
Any of these serious reactions calls for a vet visit.
For less severe bee stings, here's what to do.
First remove the stinger.
You want to check if the bee left a stinger in your dog.
If it did, you want to act fast to get it out.
Try to get your dog to sit very still,
then you can scrape the sting out
with something that has a straight edge
like a credit card, a key, or your fingernail.
Some people say it's best not to use tweezers
because they can push out more venom
by squeezing the stinger.
But a University of California study found
that it's best to get the stinger out faster
by using tweezers.
Speed is the main concern.
So use whatever you can, but do it quickly.
Once the stinger is removed
clean up the spot with soap and water.
Then, you can use some topical remedies
to make your dog as comfortable as possible.
Topical remedies.
After the sting set is cleaned up,
you can use one of these topical remedies
that can help ease your dog's comfort.
First, an ice pack.
Apply an ice pack to the sting site on and off
for 10 minutes at a time.
This will reduce swelling and help ease the pain.
Second, baking soda.
Mixed baking soda and water to form a thick paste.
Spread it on the area of the sting
to calm pain and swelling.
Then, leave it on for a few minutes and rinse it off.
Third, oatmeal paste.
Grind organic oats into a fine powder
and add water to make a soothing paste.
Place it on the bee sting site
and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing off.
Fourth, honey.
Dab a little raw honey onto the sting site
and it can help a lot with pain and wound healing.
Fifth, plantain.
If you're outside with your dog, look for some plantain.
This soothing herb, most people consider a weed,
grows everywhere.
Chew a leaf in your mouth and then apply to the sting area.
Just a word of caution.
Only do this if you're somewhere the plantain
won't have been sprayed with weed killer.
Sixth, witch hazel.
Damp some witch hazel on the area
that was stung to reduce swelling, pain, and itching.
Seventh, aloe vera.
If you have an aloe vera plant,
break off the leaf and use the gel on the sting site
to soothe the pain.
All these topical remedies can ease your dog's pain,
so keep applying as needed.
Alternatives to Benadryl.
A lot of people will recommend you give your dog Benadryl
after a bee sting, but there are homeopathic remedies
that work just as well and are much safer for your.
Homeopathic remedies for bee stings.
There are two homeopathic remedies
that work best for bee stings.
There are effective and fast acting,
so they will relieve your dog's pain and swelling
in a few minutes.
These are also great remedies for many first aid situations
so it's good to have them in your first aid kit.
The first remedy is Ledum.
This is a great remedy for insect bites or puncture wound.
Use a 30C or a 200C potency.
The second remedy is Apis.
This is used for allergic reactions
with red or swollen bites or stings.
Use a 30C or 200C potency.
If the bite area is cold and puffy,
try Ledum first.
If it's red, itchy, painful and very swollen,
try Apis first.
How to dose.
Homeopathic remedies come in small tubes of pellets.
As soon as possible after the bee sting,
give your dog two to three pellets
putting them straight in his mouth.
Then, repeat the dose in 15 minutes.
You should see improvement by them.
If so, there's no need to re-dose unless he backs slides.
But if the swelling and pain doesn't go down
in the first half hour, try the other remedy
using the same dosing schedule.
For more dosing information,
check out the link in the description.
If your dog is having a severe reaction to a bee sting,
dose him with one of these remedies on your way to the vet.
They can act quickly to bring down swelling,
so having these remedies on hand could save your dog's life.
Bee sting discomfort shouldn't last more than a day or two.
In most cases, your dog should feel better within hours.
In the meantime, it's a great excuse to spoil your dog
and give him plenty of attention to help him feel better.
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Thanks for watching and we'll see you next time.