Normally our Dachshund likes to greet my husband’s return home with a little gentle nibble on his nose, but on this particular occasion, when she heard the garage open, she couldn't wait for him to come through the door from the garage to the porch. Instead, she found the nearest moving object, and gave it a chomp.  Unfortunately it happened too quickly, and I couldn't stop her.  Penny caught, killed, and dismembered a bee right before my eyes.  She didn't cry in pain, instead she just spat the bee out and looked up at me waiting for approval of a job well done.

At first I wasn't certain there had been any trauma (to the dog that is – the bee was very traumatized… dead even), because Penny didn't even flinch - she just trotted alongside my husband as he finally walked in and set down his bags.  Then she shook her head a few times, which was a bit out-of-the-ordinary.  Knowing that bee and wasp stings can be dangerous for some dogs, I quickly examined the inside of her mouth to see if I could spot any type of redness or swelling.  Thankfully there was none, but I did spot the bee’s stinger lodged in the tip of her tongue!  

This bee mauling happened well after the vet’s closing hours, so I knew taking Penny in was not an option. I also knew that a simple sting can be safely left alone, but I still had to remove the stinger from her tongue.

Dachshunds are known for their long strong jaw and immense bite-and-hold power, and anyone who has ever owned Dachshunds knows that they don’t let you ‘hang out’ or mess around inside their mouths.  It’s a completely different story with Goldens - I can brush Luna’s teeth, play with her cheeks, and hold onto her tongue – and she lets me.  I can’t do any of these things with Penny, so I had to thoughtfully plan out the removal.

The tactic I chose for removing the stinger was simple – wait for Penny to fall asleep then slowly work my way inside her mouth.  It took a few hours and at least five different attempts, but I finally managed to work my finger inside her mouth while she was asleep, and quickly scraped the stinger out with a few flicks of my fingernail. I then startled Luna, my husband, and Penny by jumping up and down and screeching with joy after my amazing (to me) accomplishment.

Treating bee stings in dogs is not much different from treating humans for the same issue. The first priority is to assess the ‘victim’ for signs of allergic reaction. If you see any, then a trip to the vet is absolutely necessary… unless it’s a human, then the hospital would be a more natural fit!

Here is a treatment plan from webmd -

Treatment:

Identify the insect.

If the stinger is found (a small black sac), remove it by scraping it out with your fingernail or a credit card. Do not squeeze or use tweezers, as this can inject more venom. (Only bees leave their stingers behind.)

Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply it directly to the sting.

Apply an ice pack to relieve the pain and swelling.

Apply calamine lotion to relieve the itching.

Your veterinarian may prescribe an antihistamine.

If the dog exhibits signs of hypersensitivity to the venom (agitation, face scratching, drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, collapse, or seizures), take him at once to the nearest veterinary facility for treatment of anaphylactic shock.

Have you ever had to deal with dog and bee stings before?  What was your experience like?