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My dog was stung and has hives. How to stop his itching and chewing?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | neutered | 1 year and 9 months old | 75 lbs

I think my dog may have been stung by something. We were playing frisbee in the front yard yesterday and last night his face swelled up and he has been crazy digging and chewing and it looks like little bumps under his fur (maybe hives). I gave him Benadryl last night and this a.m. Face swelling is gone but still itching and chewing What else can I do for him?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jeffrey Milner

Veterinarian

Published on July 13th, 2017

Sorry to hear about Brody's ordeal! Bee stings can definitely cause the kind of symptoms which are you describing. I am happy to hear that the benadryl helped. because many times a steroid injection is required to make the swelling subside. If the benadryl is not also helping with the itchiness, another prescription medication may be required. It might help to just take a cool cloth or towel and apply it to the areas that are bothering Brody the most. You will also want to obtain a cone or t-shirt to cover the areas he is scratching at most to prevent any unwanted self-mutilation. If the swelling recurs or the itching is becoming truly unmanageable, I would definitely seek out a vet to assess the issues. Other stinging insects and snakes can also cause swelling, but typically the problems are much mores severe with spider and snake bites. Hope this helps!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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