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.
Posted by Dave (Lyndeborough, NH) on 08/21/2008 ★★★★★
Our dog Trevor, a 3 year old, 80 lb Walker Hound, was stung today by bees or wasps at least 80 times all over his head, face and legs. He was in massive pain and his face and neck swelled up very very big while he rubbed his face all over the ground and then all over the rug trying to make it stop. He would not let me put ice or cold peas anywhere near him, so I dumped some ice water over his head, much to his chagrin. Fortunately, his breathing stayed pretty normal, a little fast and a little shaky but probably mostly from pain and being frightened. I had to take his collar off, the swelling of his neck was making it hard to breathe. But his airway stayed open, he did not wheeze or collapse, and I gave him 3 25mg benadryls in peanut butter to help the swelling and pain. He seems okay now, just drowsy, and the swelling is subsiding thanks to the benadryl. I think if he had been more allergic to bees, that many stings would have killed him very quickly.
Posted by Richard (Lombard, Illinois) on 08/16/2008 ★★★★★
Thank you for helping my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Oreo, get over her sting. At 9 months old, she is still quite inquisitive and chases bugs in the yard. After coming in from play, we noticed her nose and mouth were quite swollen. I immediately called my good friend who is a veterinarian. The call went into voice mail, so I looked up "dog bee sting", and got your web site. I had topical Benadryl Gel, so I applied some to the sting site. It seemed to keep her eyes from swelling closed. We went and got Benadryl liquid and administered it with an oral syringe. My vet friend called me back and applauded our actions. Your timely information was just what the doctor would have done for Oreo.
I am a tech at an animal hospital and had delt with meany pets and bee stings. Not until it happen to my own puppy did I really feel the panic that goes through an owner Abby my puppy had an anaphylactic reaction to a bee sting her toung swelled up and she couldnt breath properly it started out looking like she just had something in her mouth then about 10 min later it was so big she couldnt keep it in her mouth. We had a previous reaction to bee stings where her face would swell up so i had benadryl on hand gave her some and there was no inprovment. so i took her to work and gave everything we had used in other dogs. shes all better now with a little after swelling adema but okay.I will always have benadryl on hand now!
Replied by Elaine (Prince Albert, South Africa)
01/05/2011
But you said the Benadryl didn't work, and you took her to the clinic and gave her everything you give all the other dogs. What was that - adrenaline, cortisone and more anti-histmine? If a dog has a serious reaction to a bee sting don't fool around - you have less than half an hour to save his life is he is in anaphylactic shock. This happened to my dog yesterday - he'd never shown any symptoms of bee allergies before, but they build up a sensitivity over time. He nearly lost his life.
We live in southern Florida and my 4 YO, 60 pound rottwiler apparently had a SEVERE allergic reaction over the 4th of July Holiday weekend (eve of July 3rd) and we were damn lucky the vet was there or my dog would have died. She came in after about 10 mins of normal front yard exploration, nothing out of the ordinary but she vomited immediately. Watery and Yellowish. Then I noticed she was very weak and panting but I attributed this to the heat of Florida in summer. Next I immeditely noticed she was not hot at all and this alarmed me for it was about 95 degrees out at the time. Normally there is alot of heat coming off her black fur. Next thing I noticed was the pale/grey gums, not the usual pink. This is when I scooped her up & rushed like mad to the vet. I had no idea what it was, what had happened, nor what pale gums really meant, but my brain told me that wasnt normal.
She was in anaphylacitc shock. 5 more minute delay and she probably would not have made it. The vet said it was touch and go for the first 1/2 hr or so and very severe. He took her blood panel for platelet activity and gave her an IV, dyphenhydrmanie and steroids. After about an hr he came in with a partial smile and then I knew she was ok. I was panicked and terrified. Florida already has so many deadly creatures like fire ants, poisonous frogs, snakes and more, so we still arent sure exactly what happened. The vet said he saw no snake puncture wounds. I dont let her out of my site now. We never found any stingers. She was on a round of dyphenhydramine and prednisone for 5 days which made her drink water like it was going out of style and she peed in the house (carpet of course) every 10 minutes. She ate more than usual as well. We still arent sure if it was fire ants. I had no clue about the benedryl but I'm going to go out and get some immediately. I heard soemthing about ephinephrine too and the EPI-PEN?? anyone know about this?
Posted by Jamie (Eden Prairie, Minnesota) on 07/31/2008 ★★★★★
Thank you so much for publishing the information about bee stings. My 5 yo Basset got stung on the foot tonight and wouldn't put any weight on her leg. I googled bee sting treatment for dogs and found this information.
I gave her a tsp of benedryl and crushed up some baby asprin. I wish I would have known about the disolve strips before today so I could have them on hand - getting her to swallow the liquid was a bit tough. She didn't like the ice AT ALL, but snuggling her while I put the ice pack on her chubby little leg made it tolerable. My poor baby girl.
Hi my name kayla my sister her name caitiln her small dog he name batman he got bee sting in eye he eye and swelling what to do what happened to he I found out that was yesterday still wont eat he food at all I afraid he die please help
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
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Posted by Kerri (Granite City, Illinois, USA) on 07/27/2008 ★★★★★
I have a sweet little chihuahau that gets easily excited on trips so my vet told me to give her benadryl to relax her. She gets so excited that she gets diarhea and vomits too so, I keep it on hand. She was stung by a bee this afternoon and I panicked. She still had the stinger in her paw so I carried her inside and removed it. I was so thankful to have the Benadryl. I cleaned her pad with rubbing alcohol, that always helps my stings, and gave her the pill. She still won't use that leg after a few hours but I'm so glad I didn't need to rush her to the vet. She's so sensitive that if she gets all of her annual shots on the same visit she will blow up like a puffer fish. Thank you for this site, it reminded me about the baking soda paste.
Hi, I also have chihuahua and was wondering what dosage you used. The capsule form comes in 25mg and am afraid that this dosage might be too strong for their weight.
Wasp sting is Alkaline therefore you need to treat with an Acid =Vinegar. Bee sting is an Acid so therefore is to be treated with an Alkaline = Bicarb of Soda.
Replied by Sarah (Los Angeles, Ca, Usa)
07/01/2011
My tiny little 3 lb chi stepped on and was stung by a bee at the park... I couldn't find the stinger and she was freaking put so I put some charcoal powder mixed with coconut oil on it to draw out the poison. When I got home I gave her tiny bit of childrens benedryl syrup ( store brand was only liquid form) the vet says the dosage is 1 mg per lb of body weight. Don't get confused bc the dosage on the cup/ lid is measured in ML, not MG... We did the math and 2 ml= 5 mg, so we gave her literally a tiny lick of it off my finger. Once she went to sleep I made a paste of baking soda, water and some OTC lidacaine cream and put on her paw it helped immediately and greatly reduced the pain. Just make sure they don't lick the mixture. If the animal does feed them some charcoal powder mixed in anything they'll eat.
My cavalier king charles got stung by bee for the second time!!! I couldn't believe it but yes.... after the lesson learned we used the oral strips of benadryl that disolve immediately and it worked great!!!! we also gave him lots of water and made sure he didn't faint or become unconsious like the first time.... if this were to happen run to the emergency room!!!
Posted by Jeffrey (Seattle, US) on 06/26/2008 ★★★★★
My 10yo pitbull was stung by a bee while soaking up some sun in our new yard. His face and tongue swelled immediately I am a nurse, so i usually have some Benadryl on hand. I gave him the same dose he recieved for several black fly bites previously while camping, and the swelling was profoundly reduced. I want to thank the person who suggested the instant dissolvable strips, because I had no idea they even existed. Kudos dog lovers!
Just gave my 4 year old 40lb basset 25 mg of Benydryl after her mussle swelled after a bee sting on her foot (I saw it happen). I'm wondering how long before the swelling goes down typically and when or if should I repeat the dose? Her breathing is fine, she's sleeping right now, was hungry enough to want dinner, so she seems fine.
Posted by Cassie (Columbus, OH) on 06/20/2008 ★★★★★
I was shocked this afternoon to find my beagle's face swollen to twice its size. I assumed it was a sting, so I went on-line and found your site right away. I gave him children's benadryl mixed with peanut butter & milk and he lapped it up right away. Within 2 hours the swelling had gone down about half. Thanks so much for the recommendation. I wouldn't have thought of using it on my pup.
My 4 month old Boxer got stung by a bee today. I thought she was chasing a fly! But when I got stung and it attacked me I got her home ASAP. I found this site while looking up bee stings. I didn't know that dogs could have reactions to bee stings too! I checked her out and could find no stinger but I will keep these remedy's on hand from now on. Thanks again you really helped me out!
Posted by Jayne (Los Angeles, CA) on 06/12/2008 ★★★★★
Bee Sting Remedy!!! thank you so much for the detailed information. My 6 mo. Havanese decided to eat a 'limping' bee from the patio. she got stung on the nose and I didn't realize what had happened until i saw the bee crawling on her nose. I googled bee stings on dogs and found your site. SO helpful.. I don't have liquid benedril but put a good dose of benedryl creme on her nose and she seems to be fine. I am continuing to watch her closely to make sure there aren't further reactions. thanks for the detail info on dose per pound. She's a puppy so I was worried about over dosing! For the future... I will KEEP liquid Benedryl in the house at all times!
Posted by Sherry (Oak Park, CA) on 05/13/2008 ★★★★★
Bee Sting Remedies for Pets: Bendryl 12.5 mg Quick dissolve strips. Our little dog is very allergic to bee stings (we even have an epipen) but this new product is fantastic. She got stung today (and we always carry a benadryl with us) we gave it to her and took her to Vet. We got praise from our Vet - the strip worked so fast - she still had to get two injections because she is so allergic to bee stings but her blood pressure and temperature were in a safe zone. I wanted to share the positive effects of the strip. They are easy to carry. Our vet was really impressed - Hope this helps someone else.
Posted by Geralyn (San Jose, California) on 05/05/2008 ★★★★★
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?
Posted by Victoria (Anaheim , CA) on 11/21/2007 ★★★★★
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!
Posted by Buffy (Mount Tremper, NY) on 09/26/2007 ★★★★★
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.
Posted by Karen (Independence, OH) on 08/25/2007 ★★★★★
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!!
Posted by Diana (Atlanta, GA, USA) on 08/23/2007 ★★★★★
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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