Hello everyone,
I am currently in the middle of writing a post covering the adventures that I've been having recently, however, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to address stings and bites you and your companions can encounter while out and about. In order to start prepping the dogs for hiking in the Autumn (since it's far too hot in Summer), I've been taking them on a two mile walk every morning for the past week. Well, today we didn't even make it 1/2 of a mile when Kilo got stung or bitten. I have no idea what bit or sting him, but his reaction was instant and so was mine. I was able to get him to walk across the street away from the bush we were next to when it happened. I didn't see any immediate swelling, so we walked back to my apartment to get him some Benadryl. As soon as we got back, I used a Sharpie to trace the outline of the now obvious TWO sting/bites that he had. Since I am out of pills, I grabbed my spray Benadryl and sprayed down the area. It's been about 15 minutes and the swelling is already going down. I can now breath a sigh of relief, but it made me realize how important it is to always have supplies on you in case of emergency, even if it's just a walk around the block! That means this post is all about the science behind bites and stings as well as how to deal with them!
First off is some terminology.
Poisonous Animals vs Venomous Animals
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| Taken from Wikipedia's List of Poisonous Animals Page |
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| Taken from iO9's Meet the Deadliest Venomous Animals in the World |
Poisonous animals secrete toxins that cause irritation whereas venomous animals actively inject toxins that cause irritation. Depending on how intense the toxin is, the results can range from a minor bump and itchiness to death. It is possible for an animal to be neither poisonous or venomous, either poisonous or venomous, or even both! If it's easier to remember birdandmoon.com did an awesome comic on the difference.
This post is going to focus on insect (and arachnid) bites and stings. I will set a reminder on my phone to address issues with larger animals such as scorpions and snakes soon, as well as a post on mosquitoes, which are crazy enough to have an entire post dedicated to them.
Bees and wasps seem to be the largest culprit of worry in the dog owner community. So, let's take a look at how each animal works.
Bee Stings
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| Taken from Telegraph.uk |
If you look closely at this picture you will see that the bee's stinger is still in place as it flies away from it's victim. This is because bees have barbed stingers.
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| Taken from Science? Hell yeah! Blog |
This is actually part of the reason I love bees, they're eusocial. This means that they are the highest level of social creatures a group can get! In turn, that means that altruism is alive and well within the bee community. When a bee stings someone it's stinger is violently ripped from it's body, typically with the muscle that pumps the venom still attached to the stinger. There are two results to this action. The first, is that the bee dies. It stings to protect the hive; it dies to protect the hive. The second, is that the muscle that pumps the venom continues to pump venom after it's torn from the bee's body! If you're around when someone gets stung (including yourself) try to find the stinger and remove it, ESPECIALLY if there's a known allergy!
Wasps Stings
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| Taken from the Wikipedia Wasp page |
Wasps, on the other hand, are the Joffrey Lannister of the animal kingdom. Marvels of evolution, these insects are INSANE. Some wasps can spray a flesh melting poison, other lay their eggs inside of their paralyzed pray and their offspring eat their way out of their victim WHILE IT'S STILL ALIVE AND CAN FEEL IT! There is no altruism here, only cold-hearted serial killers! Just look at the wasp stinger...
Notice that there are no barbs on the stinger? That's so a wasp can sting again and again and again. If there is a wasp attacking you run. Wasps release a pheromone that actually calls other wasps to the scene so that more can attack (note that bees also have this). Even without a severe allergy this can be deadly if you or your companions are attacked and get enough venom in your system.
Spider Bites
Colorado has both widow spiders and brown recluse (rare). Widow spiders' venom contains nerve damaging chemicals and the brown recluse's venom damages the cell.
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| Widow Spider from Colorado State University |
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| Brown Recluse Spider from Colorado State University What To Do?!?! Alright, so you or a loved one has encountered a sting or bite. There are several easy steps to take! 1. Do your best to know what stung or bit you. This will help both you and the doctor/vet if it's something serious! 2. Get to a safe place. 3. If you or any of your companions have an allergy, use an EpiPen. 4. Draw a circle around the area and start a timer. Keep track of how large it gets and how quickly it gets there. I usually do 10 or 15 minute intervals. |
5. Keep an eye out for allergic reactions! Symptoms of a serious allergic for humans and animals include: swelling of entire limb, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, hives, lethargy, collapse, excessive drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. If any of these happen seek out a doctor or a vet.
6. Benadryl is your best friend! I usually have pills and spray on me at most times. I've honestly just considered carrying around a diaper pack, because I carry around so many supplies all the time.
The general rule of thumb is 1 mg per pound or per 0.5 mg per 0.5 kg (Yes, I'm rounding).
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| I even made a fancy table for you all. |
Look, I know doctors and vets are expensive, but please do not put your life or the life of your companions at risk for money. It's best to have a vet that will let you make payments. Mine actually allows me to do it without credit because he knows that my pets are my children. I picked my cat up off the street and dropped $1,200 to get her healthy. I didn't have the money as a poor college student, but he allowed me to pay him over the next 3 months, so that she didn't die from an infection or the round worms she had. Planned Pethood Plus in Colorado has cheap services. Honestly though, I've had the best luck with super small practices. You build a one-on-one relationship with your vet. They know you, your situation, and most of all, your pets.
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| Yes, my dog sleeps like this... |
Kilo is still moping, but he got up and danced around when I asked if he wanted a treat. His breathing is fine and the swelling in his leg is gone. I'm glad he's okay. Being well informed is the best thing you can do, so keep an eye on yourself and your babies.
Be the love you wish to have in your life,
Victoria
P.S. The new post should be up within the next couple days. Keep an eye out for lots of pictures!
