Royal Vet

: +34 951 081 180

What to do if a wasp stings your dog.

Dogs are curious by nature, especially when they are puppies, and an object that flies by attracts their attention. In Spain there are many gardens with a swimming pool, and wasps are part of them, so it is quite likely that one of these insects will end up stinging your pet.

Serious situations if a wasp stings our dog

The normal thing is that there is no need to worry when a wasp has stung our pet;there maybe some pain and mild irritation for a short period of time. However, there are three situations in which you must take your dog to a veterinary clinic:

1.There has been several stings
2.It has happened inside the mouth
3.Your dog is allergic to wasp venom

The danger of a sting in the mouth is that the throat could be blocked by the swelling it causes. In the other two cases, the animal could suffer anaphylactic shock, which if not treated in time can be fatal.

Symptoms of anaphylactic shock in dogs

1.The dog faints
2.Has vomiting or diarrhea
3.Presents general weakness and tremors
4.Pants a lot or has trouble breathing
5.The fever rises or on the contrary its temperature is abnormally low

If you have one of these symptoms, go quickly to the vet, but as we said, this is not normal. Even so a wasp sting is quite annoying, and with these simple five steps you will achieve that your dog hardly suffer:

Step 1: extract the sting If you can see it, pass over a credit card, scraping it in the opposite direction to how it is stuck. Do not try to do it with your finger or fingernail, you will only get the stinger to break and release more poison.

Step 2: decrease pain
Dilute vinegar in water and apply it on the wound. This will relieve the pain your pet has.

Step 3: Lower the swelling by Wrapping ice in a towel and place it on the bite. Apart from reducing the inflammation it will also calm the affected area.

Step 4: Cure the injury and Call Royalvet: 951 081 180/607 801 185. They will advise you if it is better that you come or they will prescribe an antihistamine in the dose appropriate to the size of your dog.

Step 5: monitor the patient
If the days go by and the swelling stays, call Royalvet again.