How to Treat Dog Insect Bites

Instructions

• 1

  Use tweezers to remove visible stingers or scrape them off with a credit card. Mix baking soda to a small quantity of water to form a paste and apply it to the spot from where you removed the stinger. This will draw out the insect venom as well as have a soothing effect. You may have to apply calamine lotion or cortisone cream if the baking soda paste does not work.
• 2

  You might know that your dog was stung by a spider. If that is the case, you will need to look for signs of an allergic reaction. It is not necessary for the symptoms to be subtle and they will most probably start only a few minutes after the bite. Common symptoms of an allergic reaction include swelling on the dog’s face and paws and extremely red eyes and hives. Be sure to immediately call a vet if any of the aforesaid symptoms are shown by your dog.
• 3

  As a first aid treatment, consider administering a dose of 1 mg per pound of body weight of Benadryl to the dog. Keep in mind that if you let the allergic reaction go untreated, the result may be escalation and severity in the reaction. In the worst case scenario, it can block the dog’s airways and result in anaphylaxis.
• 4

  If there is a tick, you will need to pull it out firmly by holding its body. You might have to turn the tick over if it does not come out easily. To avoid the possibility of the tick’s head breaking and remaining in the dog’s body, you would want to pull the tick’s body almost parallel to the dog’s skin. Do not worry if a tiny bit of skin comes off in the process because that is a good thing. Treat the spot from where you pulled the tick out with antibiotic ointment.
• 5

  It would be in the dog’s best interest if you were to stay on the lookout for signs of general illness at least for a few days after a known tick bite. These are possible symptoms of Lyme disease and should be taken care of immediately.