My dog got stung in the jowl near her lip earlier this week by a hornet. I saw exactly when it happened so I know for sure it was a hornet.

It swelled and she actually let me put ice on it. I crated her and watched her; her lip got pretty fat but no respiratory issues. The swelling was gone the next day.

Well, the same thing happened again yesterday and I was concerned that she would have a more severe reaction. I am assuming that histimine response is similar in dogs as to humans. I know from personal experience that having 2 close stings can cause some nasty reactions.

I brought her inside and immediately gave her a benadryl and crated her. Within an hour the swelling was completely gone.

I was glad to have had the benadryl onhand; she might not have had a severe reaction, but for sure the benadryl controlled her symptoms.

The life threatening allergic reactions happen the second (third, fourth, etc) the exposure occurs. It can be slower, but it can also happen in a few minutes. Good job with the benedryl! I found the quick dissolve strips that they make for children work WONDERFULLY for this - they stick so quickly to the tongue that there is no real "drama" with dosing. They are also easy to keep ina pocket, whatever if out for a walk. They definitely can help in a major emergency. My Boxer is severely allergic to fire ant bites (but she LOVES to play with them!) We typically have 1-2 scares every spring. The first time it happened, I had to keep dosing her with the benedryl every 10 minutes while on the way to the vet. Trying to get a pup who is already scared (lots of facial swelling) to swallow a pill is quite a chore. The other thing is that the strips can be placed UNDER the tongue (sublingually) where absorption goes straight into the bloodstream rather than the slower stomach absorption. In a life threatening allergic reaction the faster absorption is the way to go.

I had a German Shepherd whose number one summer time hobby was killing bees. He would walk around the yard hunting them.

It was amazing to watch him snap at them and immediate shake his head before they could sting him.

He would do this over and over till they were dead.

 Quote: cameron feathers

I found the quick dissolve strips that they make for children work WONDERFULLY for this - they stick so quickly to the tongue that there is no real "drama" with dosing.

I like that idea (plus they may come in handy for my 6 year old as well!)

 Quote: lee sternberg

I had a German Shepherd whose number one summer time hobby was killing bees. He would walk around the yard hunting them.

It was amazing to watch him snap at them and immediate shake his head before they could sting him.

He would do this over and over till they were dead.

My dog seems to be a slow learner. She goes after the hornets, but hasn't yet figured out that she needs to be quicker to avoid the stings!

They have a bit of a sharp taste, so I'd suggest a glass of water for the child after dosing ;-) I tried them myself to see what they tasted like, etc, and THEY HIT HARD! lol. I have very little tolerance for benedryl already but as quickly as they kick in I was out cold in about 10 minutes, woke up 2 hours later ;-) (I was at home and had a cold so the nap was great!) The only complaint I have is the suger substitute that they use, but since they are for emergencies it's a bit different.

I was told by 2 different vets that when using Benedryl, do not give the allergy formula. Give plain old original formula Benedryl. I never did find out why. Has anyone else heard this?

Fewer drugs in the original. The liquid has alcohol in it that can be fatal to dogs, and the nasal meds in the allergy formulas can interact with other meds the dog is on, and the combination can be an issue with some dogs. Some people use it for anxiety/sedation for travel, etc on a regular basis. Me - I only use it when she starts to have breathing problems due to the fire ants the bugger finds at least once a year. The first time it happened we were about 45 min from the vet, and he had me dose her 1 every 10 minutes to keep her airway open until I got there. This was an extreme case, usual dosage is about 50 mg for 50 lbs. (I was close to having to intubate her on the drive over there, though.)

Thanks for the explanation, Cameron.

 Quote: Cameron Feathers

The only complaint I have is the suger substitute that they use, but since they are for emergencies it's a bit different.

This caught my eye and I just wanted to post a reminder that the sugar substitute Xylitol (did I spell it right?) is poisonous to dogs.