Is this the saddest little face or what?

My poor little boy had a rough weekend.  He started it out by stepping on a bee.  I watched him for symptoms like difficulty breathing, swelling, hives and excessive drooling, but he didn’t have any of these.  What I didn’t realize was the tiredness and soft poos he was having were signs of a reaction bad enough that he should see a vet.  (I was blaming the tiredness on Benedryl.)

Should your pup come out the loser in an encounter with a bee, first remove the stinger.  (The pup will not like this.)  Then put a baking soda paste on the wound.  (The pup will not like this.)  Apply ice to help with the pain.  (The pup will not like this).  Then give a Benedryl.  (The pup will really like this if you wrap it in peanut butter!)

Along with the Benedryl, I gave my boy some of the topical cortisone spray I keep on hand for his hot spots.  It isn’t as strong as what the vet would have given him, but it did seem to bring him a bit of relief.

Be safe around those bees this Summer!