Treatment
Wasps and other bee species don’t leave the stinger behind. However, bee sting venom is acidic and wasp sting venom is alkaline so home-made treatments to ease the pain and swelling are different. For bees, use a mixture of water and bicarbonate of soda on the sting, followed by an ice pack to reduce swelling. For wasps use vinegar or lemon juice followed by an ice pack.
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Unfortunately, the effectiveness of these home-made remedies is debatable, the most reliable treatments will be available from your vet, especially if your pet is having difficulty breathing or showing signs of an allergic reaction.
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Your vet can administer an injectable steroid or anti histamine medication to provide immediate relief (usually within about 30 minutes) and reduce the swelling. Later this might be followed up with further tableted treatment, if deemed necessary.
Interested in bees? Check out Bee Life an interesting website with a hive of information on the different types of bees in the UK.
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