Why is my dog's leg still swollen over a week after a bee sting?

Hi there! I’m a fellow standard poodle owner too! Is he still limping at all? If he is limping then I would limit his activity and encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian. If the limping has resolved but there is still some mild swelling then a sting or an object such as a thorn etc may be causing the swelling. If it doesn’t seem to improve and decrease on a daily basis then he should be seen. Best of luck and I hope he is back to normal soon! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Yes, bee stings can make the entire head / face swell regardless of where the sting took place. If the swelling does not resolve with the Benadryl, I would recommend having Pepper examined by a veterinarian for further treatment. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

I am sorry to hear about Scooby. It is difficult to say how long it might take for swelling to go down because we do not know the cause. We can have swelling due to an abscess, cellulitis, edema (fluid buildup in the leg), a tumor or mass, trauma and development of a seroma or hematoma, or swelling due to a fracture. If the swelling is still present I would consider additional testing such as an x-ray of the leg, or ultrasound of the leg. If the vet is fairly certain it is due to infection then it could take longer than 4 days for the swelling to resolve but he may need to continue the antibiotics longer.

I would just monitor the paw for now. You can apply an ice pack for 5-10 minutes 2-3 times per day to help with the discomfort or reduce any swelling that may occur. If Diva begins to have any other symptoms such as breathing difficulties, swelling of the face, etc. I would recommend getting her examined by a veterinarian for further treatment. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I do think that she should see a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. She may be having an allergic reaction to the sting. Also, this appears to be causing her pain which may be why she is not eating. It is hard to know without an examination but this is certainly concerning. They would be able to examine her and determine what would be best to treat her with. Good luck and have a good night!

They do tend to swell varying amounts when they get stung by bees, but they don't tend to have severe complications, so I would not worry too much right now. You can safely give one 50mg tablet of benadryl by mouth to help prevent allergic reactions. Just know that this will make him drowsy. An allergic reaction normally happens within the first couple of hours, so if he's doing OK by the end of the day, then he should be fine. If he starts vomiting, you notice his face swell excessively, or he seems to have trouble breathing, then these would be signs of an allergic reaction that needs emergency vet treatment. I hope that helps and Ardie turns-out OK.

If there is no swelling and if your dog does not experience any vomiting or trouble breathing, the discomfort should go away soon by itself. If Charlie keeps licking the area you can give him 1/2 a children's Benadryl which should take the itch.