Update to post: Things that Fly and Sting!

Posted by Aaron

Sunday, May 3, 2009



The phrase "allergic reaction" means lots of different things. As I mentioned in my previous post about things that fly and sting, allergic reactions of bees and wasps are fairly common things to see on emergency. The patient above doesn't usually look like a shar pei. He's actually a pyrenees, and usually has a much thinner nose. His lips are swollen and his eyes are very puffy.

About half an hour after getting steroids and Benadryl, he looked much better, although still puffy. We may never know what happened, but this appearance is typical for allergic reactions to insects and vaccines. As the reaction becomes worse there will be hives, vomiting, diarrhea, collapse, respiratory distress, and death.

This IS an emergency and needs to be treated. First aid treatment begins with diphenhydramine (Benadryl) at about 1mg/lb. This means a 25lb dog gets a 25mg caplet. 12lb dog gets half a tablet or gets 1tsp of the liquid stuff.

If you're not sure - DON'T GIVE IT and call your doctor or local ER.

AMH



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