Insect Bites and Stings -- 10 Ways to Bite Back
To mosquitoes and other biting members of the insect world, your pets are a four-legged free lunch. Bees, hornets and wasps, however, may be too irritated to lunch. They just sting.
While close encounters of the buggy kind are rarely dangerous, they can be painful. Here are some tips for relieving your friend's stung feelings.
For Dogs and Cats
Get the point. If your pet has been targeted by a bee, somewhere in his coat a stinger has probably been left behind. To get it out, carefully part his hair to get a good view. Then remove it with your fingers or a tweezers, says Tam Garland, D.V.M., Ph.D., veterinary toxicologist at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine in College Station.
Better yet, if the stinger is in an area that's easy to get to, try scraping it out with your fingernail or the corner of a credit card. That way you're less likely to squeeze additional venom into the wound.
Soothe it with soda. Applying a paste of baking soda and water to the bite or sting several times a day can help ease discomfort, says Larry Thompson, D.V.M., clinical veterinary toxicologist at the Diagnostic Laboratory at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, New York. "The alkalinity helps relieve the itch," he explains. A dab of calamine can also help, he adds.
Try milk of magnesia. This over-the-counter medication contains magnesium hydroxide, which will also help reduce the itch and irritation, says Dr. Thompson. As with baking soda, you can apply a soothing coat of milk of magnesia several times a day.
Get help from the kitchen. Meat tenderizers contain enzymes that help break down the poison in insect stings, reducing the irritation, says Dr. Thompson.
Make a paste by adding water to the tenderizer. Then apply it directly to the sting, he advises. Repeat as often as needed.
Dab on some ammonia. Experts aren't sure why it works, but ammonia helps cut the pain of bug bites and stings, says E. Murl Bailey, Jr., D.V.M., Ph.D., professor of toxicology in the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine. "Dab it on the spots with cotton," he says.
Get help from the windowsill. Applying a thin layer of gel from an aloe vera plant will help ease discomfort and possibly speed healing. "Aloe vera is very good for skin irritations," says Dr. Thompson.
If you don't have an aloe vera plant, you can buy the gel in health food stores.
Try an OTC. For areas that are sore and irritated, try applying a thin layer of hydrocortisone cream. "Use Cortaid or another cream with 0.5 percent hydrocortisone," suggests Lowell Ackerman, D.V.M., Ph.D., a veterinary dermatologist in private practice in Scottsdale, Arizona, and author of Skin and Haircoat Problems in Dogs.
Chill it down. Applying a cold compress to stings helps take the swelling down and dulls the pain, Dr. Garland says. Wrap a handful of ice cubes in a washcloth or small towel and hold it on the area for at least five minutes -- longer if your pet will hold still. "It might help calm the animal, too," adds Dr. Garland.
Take to the tub. If your pet is very uncomfortable, a cool soak in colloidal oatmeal (like Aveeno) can help, says Dr. Ackerman.
If you don't have colloidal oatmeal, you can substitute regular oatmeal, adds Dr. Garland. Put the oatmeal in an old sock, attach the sock to the tub faucet and run water through it, she says.
Repel the problem. Dousing your pet with Avon Skin-So-Soft will not only make him smell good, it may also help repel fleas, flies, mosquitoes and other biting things, says Dr. Garland. She recommends mixing about 1/4 capful in a quart of water. Put it in a spray bottle and give him a spritz every week or so. "If you use more than that, you're going to get an oily pet," Dr. Garland adds.
When to See the Vet
While most bites and stings do nothing more than make your pet a little itchy, sometimes the results can be deadly.
Dogs and cats typically approach the world nose first. As a result they often get stung on the face or in the nose or mouth. "If they swell up in the nose or throat region, they may not be able to breathe," says Tam Garland, D.V.M., Ph.D., veterinary toxicologist at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine in College Station.
Watch carefully to see if the swelling is minor or if that fat lip could potentially balloon to dangerous proportions. "If they're stung at 2:00, and at 2:30 there's mild swelling and irritation, that's not going to be a really critical problem," says Larry Thompson, D.V.M., clinical veterinary toxicologist at the Diagnostic Laboratory at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, New York. "But if they're stung at 2:00 and at 2:05 the swelling is big, they're having a very sensitive reaction and need immediate veterinary care."
The information on this page was obtained from the site www.petsmart.com