The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Benadryl
Posted by William A. Crissey Ph.D. (Waynesboro, Pa.) on 08/12/2007
★★★★★
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.
Benadryl
Posted by michael (santa rosa, ca) on 07/30/2007
★★★★★
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.
Benadryl
Posted by Keith (West Richland, Washington) on 07/12/2007
★★★★★
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..
Benadryl
Posted by Kathy (Longview, Texas) on 07/07/2007
★★★★★
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.
Benadryl
Posted by kim (evansville, indiana) on 06/05/2007
★★★★★
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!!
Benadryl
Posted by Pam (Port Richey, FL) on 02/25/2007
★★★★★
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!!
Benadryl
Posted by Judy (San Diego, CA) on 02/17/2007
★★★★★
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.
Benadryl
Posted by JD (Mesa, AZ) on 09/13/2006
★★★★★
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.
Benadryl and Prednisone
Posted by Heidi (Vaughn, Washington) on 09/27/2008
★★★★★
I had never had a dog stung by a bee until today, my 10 month puppy got a wasp stuck in her hair! As a nurse I knew about the Benadryl, and Ice, but I also called a friend of mine up who has asthma and got one tablet of Prednisone. I broke it into half and gave a half at the time of the sting and 12 hours later. She did great, we snuggled from the sleepy Benadryl, and the swelling went down with the Prednisone and I didnt have to worry about a relapse in the wheezing I could hear.
Replied by Rc
(Los Angeles)
04/12/2018
★★★★★
General Feedback
Posted by Dee Dee (Orange, Ca) on 12/07/2012
A week ago my Maltese got stung by a bee. Took him to emergency vet who removed the stinger and administered 2 injections. One was epinephrin. Later he started to cry in pain. He had to stay with them overnight and be sedated. He said something may be wrong with his back. Took him home the next day with perscription of Temaril p. He said pup will be okay.
BUT 2 days later Puppy has developed a bald spot above his tail and it is warm to the touch and causes him pain if touched.
Took him to our Vet - Blood Tests are elevated due to inflammation - X-Rays don't show anything bad. He cannot determine the cause, no evidence of bug bite, however, I think it could be the result of the emergency vets care.
My Vet prescribed Clavamox for inflammation and Tramadol for pain and hot compresses also no playing with others, he has to remain on leash and semi-confinement for 2 weeks. We are on day 3. He called yesterday said we could add another perscription if there is no improvement.
He is not itching the area but the hair is falling out and it's very sensitive. I am worried and love my little 6 month old puppy.
Any suggestions... Please Could Apple Cider Work?
Ice Cubes
Posted by Natalie (Lakewood, CA) on 07/17/2009
★★★★★
My 5 year old pit got stung today (from a hive we just discovered yesterday in an orange tree and had not previously called attention to itself!) I suddenly noticed his right lip was swollen! I located the stinger and verified what it was by looking up images online. I didn't have any Benadryl or baking soda, and he's not a dog you can hold an ice pack on. So in the end I put some ice cubes in his bowl. He was quite happy to eat them, which he usually isn't, so I figured it was providing some relief. I then kept feeling the swollen lip and it went down after about 2 hours. All is well, and the beehive has been removed, thank goodness!
Lavender Essential Oil
Posted by Georgia (Irons, Mi) on 04/26/2010
★★★★★
HUGE black Ground hornets & lavender essential oil:
My cat of 3 years old had a near death experience and although it took 2 days to figure out what had really happened I immediately had given an application of lavender oil (3 drops pure on my hand) and lightly brushed his arm and underside of paw with it as soon as I saw there was a problem. He definitely does not like the smell, but I insisted he get the treatment. He was incoherent, stumbling, all in 5 minutes & swelled to the size of golf balls where he was stung (6x) but in 12 hours was alive & well! He doesn't remember his brush with death, just loves me more! I thanked all above who stayed at his side, tho my vet did not believe in Mother Nature's cures, I'm blessed She once again saved another of my pet's lives. I was also stung by these bees 2 yrs. ago and their stings instantly attack your motor skills, altho I 'could not think' to use the oil on me. Hoping this story helps
Mud
Posted by Lin (Yellow Springs, Ohio) on 08/26/2008
★★★★★
Mud has cured my family's external bee stings for over 35 years. Wherever you are, there is mud, all you need is a little water. Just make a paste and slap it on. I've used it for a one year old baby whose piercing screams stopped within seconds, for a panic d customer in a store to our dog's paw just yesterday. The mud does it all, draws out the stinger and the poison - fast. Leave on from 2-20 min. Rinse off, then wash with soap and water. Relax and have a glass of water.
Multi-Approach + Give it Time
Posted by SKM (Madison, WI) on 09/28/2021
★★★★★
This post may be a little different, but I wanted to share my experience. I'm sure you will find mistakes in my approach! But did want to share as an encouragement, should others find themselves in a similar situation.
Our 14 year old kitty Raul loves going outside and always seems to be getting into something. One afternoon he emerged from the garage sporting a sting on his cheek. (He is known to allow mosquitoes to bite his face, but this sting idea was something new and different.) He kind of laid low for the rest of the day while nursing his new injury. At this point it was a little swollen, but nothing really to write home about.
The next day, it remained the same. I wondered if there was a stinger I should pull out, so I felt around a little and kind of felt something, yet nothing that I knew for sure was the stinger. All seemed well and we both eventually went to bed.
The next morning, his cheek was s w o l l e n! Of course, it's so difficult as a pet 'owner' when something is off. The worst anxiety and stress ever. I immediately jumped on to Earth Clinic.
I tried mud,
I tried colloidal silver,
I tried George's Aloe Vera,
and I tried honey.
Sometimes it seemed to get bigger, more swollen, and it was when I applied the honey that it seemed to stabilize itself. I was checking him every hour if not more often, fully prepared to take him to the vet, but also unsure as to when to make that call. Getting it to stabilize was a huge relief, yet things were still stressful. I would apply the honey about every hour or 2. (At this point, I still wasn't sure what it was, since I had not seen so much swelling before, I didn't know if it was a spider bite, abscess, tumor, or what-have-you!! I now know that I probably caused the sting venom to be released when I was poking around a little.)
At any rate, my husband suggested we eventually just leave him be, and wallah! In the morning, the swelling had decreased greatly.
So I just wanted to say, that, if it weren't for us humans, the pets would get stung and heal naturally as well. So don't freak (as is so easy to do, and as I did), and let your cures + time do its thing. Do closely monitor, though, and if you don't like taking slight chances, then this post is not for you.
Thanks for listening, feel free to chime in!
Stacy in Madison, WI
Raw Honey and Aloe Vera
Posted by Julie (Illinois) on 07/01/2018
★★★★★
I noticed my pitbull's eye was red and smaller than his other eye and immediately applied a mixture of 1 tsp of organic raw honey with 1/2 cup colloidal silver with an eye dropper, thinking he had a bacterial infection which he previously had six months earlier. He never did act as if it bothered him but I later noticed swelling on his bottom eyelid, very near the opening and realized it was a bee sting.
I slathered Aloe Vera from a plant I keep, to the swollen area outside the lid, being careful not to get any inside the eye.
Next, I reapplied the honey solution inside the lid using a spray bottle this time. The dog took a nap and about an hour later, his eye looked normal again! I had the same result two years earlier with my small terrier but his bee sting was not as close to the eye opening as the pitbull's sting. At that time, I immediately applied aloe vera from a bottle kept in the refrigerator and after reading about honey for bee stings, I applied honey directly on the swollen area within minutes of the aloe vera. I was shocked at how quickly the swelling disappeared at that time also.
(1) 
