My dog got stung and won't let me touch. Could it be an emergency?

Ouch, poor Bongo! You did the right thing by taking out the stinger. Put a cold compress on it for five minutes at a time to help with the pain and swelling. Keep an eye on him. If his paw starts swelling despite the cold compress, he gets hives, he is in pain, or you see signs of anaphylactic shock, rush him into an ER vet immediately. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

You can cool the area where the sting is with some ice wrapped in a cloth. This will take the pain and reduce the swelling. By tomorrow the area should look normal again. If your puppy starts to vomit, gets breathing problems or appears ill, you will need to take it to a pet ER for treatment.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Oh my, that is quite swollen, and I'd be concerned that this swelling could increase and affect her breathing. This is a medical emergency and cannot be treated at home. Please take her into a vet immediately to get this treated. Best of luck.

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!

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 the symptoms don't seem to bad and if he isn't lethargic or having problems breathing just wait 2-3 hours, it should start getting better by then. in any case of respiratory problems or lethargy you must take him to the vet urgently.

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.