22
Sep
2013
Well it’s that time of year again when the Yellow Jacket wasps are geared into high activity. Food is starting to get scarce for them so they are becoming more and more aggressive. If you’ve been through a coffee or a food drive through lately you’ll notice them in swarms buzzing around garbage cans and the serving windows.
The Yellow Jacket is a wasp and injects his venom though a hollow shaft. Unlike bees which can only sting once, the wasp can sting over and over again with a lance-like stinger.
We find many of these wasps on the ground these days with all the fallen crap apples from trees that line some of our walks and so we are diligent about avoiding these areas this time of the year. We don’t want your dog to be stung by sticking their nose right onto a wasp.
As Yellow Jackets can build their nests in rodent holes, it’s a good idea not to let your dog sniff or stick their nose in one of these holes. They might find a little more than they bargained for.
Allergic Reactions
Dogs, just like humans can go into anaphylactic shock from an allergic reaction to a sting so it’s very important to let your dog walker 
know if your dog suffers from any allergic reaction to stings from bees or wasps.
What You Should You Do if Your Dog Gets Stung
If your dog does get stung you’ll need to keep a close eye on them to ensure that they are not having an allergic reaction. If you notice anything such as your dog looking weak or shaky, having labored breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, or anything abnormal call your veterinarian immediately as your dog could be going into anaphylactic shock. This is not something you can treat at home and you need to get your dog to the vet very quickly.
If they just seem to have localized swelling around the sting area your vet may still want to see your dog or may recommend oral Benadryl, or other over the counter anti-inflammatory medication. To be on the safe side you may want ask your vet ahead of time what they would recommend if your dog were to be stung and write the dosage on the label.
If it’s not an emergency situation you can clean the area with some mild soap, and apply an ice compress (wrap your compress as you don’t want the ice to be directly on the skin) five minutes on, five minutes off for half an hour or so. You can also apply a paste of baking soda mixed with water to help alleviate some of the pain.
Bee and wasp stings are painful so you’ll need to provide some extra cuddles and love until they start feeling better!
