What to do if a cat is bitten by a bee on the paw, lip or somewhere else?

Cats are playful, active hunters who often choose insects as prey. In defending themselves, buzzing hymenoptera cause serious damage with their venom. When your pet is bitten by a wasp, he needs to be helped and monitor his further actions.

Depending on the affected area and the distinctive characteristics of the animal’s body, a bite can have different effects on well-being and often lead to death. If your pet's condition worsens, you should immediately go to the veterinarian.

What to do if a cat is bitten by a wasp? If your cat is suddenly stung by a bee or wasp, it is important to know the symptoms of an allergic reaction and steps to help at home.

Why do cats bite?

Cats can, of course, become aggressive when they are scared or feel threatened. But many also tend to bite and scratch when petted by their owner. This is called petting-induced aggression, and it has been a topic of discussion among behaviorists for decades. There are three theories why cats do this. First, they are simply letting their owner know that they are no longer happy to be petted. Secondly, they are trying to establish their status. Thirdly, a person who pets them for a while causes negative emotions in cats. It is important for owners to learn more about their cats in order to recognize the telltale signs of aggression caused by petting.

Read also: How and with what to wear a black jacket

First aid for cats with bee stings

Some tips when you notice a bite:

• If there is a sting, remove it immediately. The poison penetrates the circulatory system in 3 minutes. It is appropriate to use the sharp edge of a credit card or tweezers. Fingers can damage the sac of poison;
• After removing the sting, observe the reaction.
  The reaction should be mild and localized; The result of a paw bite.
• Sometimes the use of an antihistamine, diphenhydramine, is necessary. In this case, you need to consult a specialist, since many drugs contain painkillers. Even death is possible. The veterinarian will advise the correct remedy and dosage;
• applying a cold edema or cold towel will reduce minor swelling;
• if possible, do not allow scratching, as the pain will become stronger;
• calm your pet and give you the opportunity to rest.

What to do if a cat is bitten by a bee

First of all, after the defeat, the cat that has been bitten by a bee is brought into the room and placed in a cool place. After 5-10 minutes, it is necessary to examine the animal and find the location of the lesion. If there is a sting in the wound, it is carefully removed using tweezers.

A cat was bitten on the paw by a bee: what to do?

Ice is applied to the bitten area after wrapping it in a towel. The cold should be kept for about half an hour. This manipulation will help relieve swelling. Afterwards, the damaged area is lubricated with a solution of 9% vinegar diluted with water 1:1. The procedure is repeated several times a day.

First aid for a bite on the nose

This injury can make it difficult for your pet to breathe. Therefore, after applying cold to the bite site and washing it with vinegar or soapy water, the animal is given corticosteroids - hormonal anti-inflammatory substances.

Attention! If the swelling has subsided, such therapy will be sufficient.

You can give your cat the drug Apis, which can support the cat’s body after the sting is removed and relieve swelling. Owners of allergic cats who have been bitten by a bee should always keep this product on hand.

If the condition worsens, you may need an injection with antihistamines: Diazolin, Dexamethasone, Suprastin. A veterinarian should be consulted regarding each medication. If you can’t get to the nearest veterinary hospital, you can discuss taking medications with a doctor over the phone.

Photos of cats stung by bees

In the photo you can see how swelling develops in cats bitten by bees.

The muzzle at the site of the lesion swells, the eye closes.

Important! When a bee bites a cat on the nose, it develops swelling not only on the skin, but also in the respiratory tract, which threatens the death of the animal.

Getting a sting in the face or cheek can also lead to serious swelling:

Symptoms

The owner does not always have the opportunity to keep track of his pet, but based on his behavior he should suspect the fact of a wasp sting. The cat often meows pitifully, scratches, and licks the stung area. A more detailed examination of the lesion usually reveals a red spot, swelling, marks from claws, teeth, with which the animal wants to quench the itching that has arisen.

The degree of inflammation depends on the weight, age and type of insect that bit your pet. The most extensive swelling will appear in a kitten stung by a bee on the nose, cheeks or eyes. A wasp bite on the tongue is especially dangerous. The symptoms here are similar to those in humans:

• round redness;
• edema;
• burning, itching;
• pain.

An animal stung by an aggressive bee rushes around the corners, its behavior is restless, sometimes violent. When wasp venom gets into your cat's paw, lameness occurs. These signs are caused by a developing allergy to wasp toxin, which is accompanied by the above consequences, as well as:

• diarrhea;
• lacrimation;
• convulsions;
• swelling of the larynx;
• increased temperature;
• lack of appetite, weakness.

In mild cases of a wasp or bee sting, all signs disappear on their own after a few days. But in view of the existing danger of damage to your pet’s respiratory tract and the onset of suffocation, veterinarians recommend taking immediate action immediately after detecting a problem.

Why is a bee sting dangerous for cats?

Dangerous places for bee infestation in cats:

• nose;
• larynx;
• groin;
• eyes.

Important! After a bee sting, swelling develops, the consequences of which can be blindness, suffocation, difficulty urinating, which can lead to disability or death of the animal.

How does an allergy to bee stings manifest in cats?

Allergies in cats to bee stings occur with varying degrees of severity. In total, there are 3 types of allergic reactions based on intensity:

1. A moderate reaction causes lethargy, the temperature rises, and the cat refuses food. At this stage, no treatment is required; the animal’s body will cope with the bee venom on its own.
2. The average degree is manifested by swelling at the site of the lesion, blisters appear, the skin around the eyes and neck swells, unbearable itching (urticaria) appears, which can become acute and threatens the life of the animal.
3. Anaphylactic shock is a severe reaction to an insect bite that develops within a few minutes and threatens the death of the cat. In this case, urgent veterinary care and intravenous administration of antihistamines are necessary.

How does bee venom affect cats?

Active, playful animals, cats, often become victims of insects when they are hunted. This mainly occurs in the summer in rural areas. A city cat can also be bitten by a bee that accidentally flies into the room.

Bee venom affects a cat's body in the same way as it does a human. In this case, the animal experiences severe pain at the site of the bite. Subsequently, the painful sensations are replaced by unbearable itching.

Hives or acute pain in themselves do not pose a danger to the life of a cat that has been stung by a bee. An allergic reaction that subsequently develops is dangerous. A slight swelling at the site of the bite goes away on its own within a day. If swelling develops and does not subside, then the cat needs emergency veterinary care. Especially if the allergic reaction progresses in the nose or throat area, the animal may suffocate.

What symptoms do animals exhibit after a bite?

If a cat was bitten by a bee, and the owner did not see it, damage from insect venom can be determined by the corresponding signs.

Symptoms of bee infestation:

• severe swelling at the site of the bite;
• hard breath;
• profuse drooling;
• vomit;
• convulsions;
• temperature.

Important! When these signs of life appear, the cat is in danger. Professional veterinary care must be provided.

How cats stung by bees behave

If a cat is stung by a bee, you can observe a change in his behavior. It shakes its head or paw, depending on where the sting is stuck. Upon careful examination, you can see severe swelling, which will grow over time. After an insect bite, you can see a sting in the wound. The cat will begin to breathe heavily and then vomit. The animal will try to reach the bite site with its paw or crawl out.

Allergy

Swelling from a bee sting is already a sign of a serious problem. If this is all you need to do, you can cope without specialized help. But when a tumor of the larynx, vomiting or diarrhea, and heart rhythm disturbances are added to this, it is worth talking about an allergic reaction. It is no longer possible to do without the use of antihistamines.

At home, homeopathic remedies such as Apis tablets will help prevent the development of a reaction when a cat is stung by a bee. You can also give Tavegil, Suprastin, Diazolin or Diphenhydramine.

If a bee gets stung in the face or enters the oral cavity, it is recommended to use the following remedies:

• a Prednisolone tablet is crushed into powder, diluted with water and poured into the cat’s mouth; if this option does not help, take the drug in an ampoule and inject the medicine;
• if you have nausea, vomiting, or difficulty breathing, you will need a Dexamethanose injection;
• If you are allergic to bee stings, L-cet suspension helps.

If these medications do not provide relief and the allergic reaction continues to worsen, medical attention will be needed.

L-cet

Antihistamines

Antihistamines
After a bee sting on a cat's nose or other place on the face, an antihistamine should be given to avoid severe allergies. There is no special cat drug. Experts advise:

• Prednisolone. At home, give 0.5 tablets. Turn it into powder, dilute it with water, and pour it into the cat’s mouth. If immediate relief of an allergic reaction is required, an injection is given intramuscularly and 0.5 ml of solution is injected.
• Dexamethasone. More suitable for obvious signs of allergies - vomiting, nausea, difficulty breathing. An injection is given with a solution of 0.2 ml.
• Diazolin. It is recommended if a bee has bitten a kitten, an adult cat, or a cat. Dose – 0.5 tablets at a time. On the first day, an antihistamine is given three times.
• L-cet. A modern antihistamine is produced in the form of a suspension or tablets. In the first case, give 0.5 teaspoon per day, in the second - ¼ of the tablet.

To save a cat’s life after a bee sting, you can give any antihistamine that is in your home medicine cabinet, but then you should show your pet to a specialist. Carry out further therapy under the supervision of a veterinarian.

Important!

If a bee bites a cat on the paw, there is no particular cause for concern. But an animal may have an individual intolerance to bee venom. In this case, the consequences are unpredictable, the paw noticeably swells. To avoid complications, you need to give an antihistamine immediately after discovering a bite.

Can cats have allergic reactions to bee and wasp stings?

Cats stung by bees or wasps can develop severe and life-threatening reactions if they are allergic to the insect venom. This reaction is most often seen in cats that have been stung previously. This is the result of the cat becoming “sensitized” to the bite and the immune system overreacting the second time around. Anaphylaxis is an emergency and can be fatal if your cat does not receive prompt veterinary treatment, which usually includes supplemental oxygen, an IV, and medications such as epinephrine, steroids, and antihistamines.

First aid

If a bee stings, its sting remains in the body. The slightest touch to it increases the pain. Therefore, it is so important to locate the bite site and remove the sting from the cat.

This must be done extremely carefully, otherwise the sting will break and its poisoned tip will remain under the skin. In this case, it is more difficult to remove the fragment. You may even need surgery.

The place where the cat was bitten by a bee is treated with an antiseptic. This will help reduce inflammation. A cold compress is then applied to the swollen area.

Antiseptic

Recognizing the signs of a bite

In most cases, cats exhibit a localized reaction where the bite area becomes slightly swollen and tender. Often, a bee or wasp can sting in the face, usually in the nose area, or in the paw. Check to see if the sting remains on the skin. When a bee stings, it leaves a sting with spikes in the body of the victim. Wasps do not lose their stings, so they can sting a victim several times in a row, which increases the degree of threat to your pet.

Severe swelling, redness and pain are the first signs of an acute reaction. The animal may show that it is in pain, for example, it will begin to limp or hobble, meow loudly, or vigorously lick the bite site. The following symptoms are observed in anaphylactic shock:

• Rash.
• Disorientation or stumbling.
• Vomiting or diarrhea.
• Pale gums.
• Low body temperature and cold extremities.
• Fast or slow heart rate.

According to the North Asheville Veterinary Clinic, other signs to watch for include fainting, shallow or rapid breathing, increased salivation, changes in behavior, mood, and thinking abilities. If any of these signs occur, take your pet to a veterinarian immediately.

Finding the bite site

Locating a sting point can be challenging. The cat becomes active, aggressive, hisses, scratches, bites.

You should monitor your pet's behavior. If the lesion is on the muzzle - swelling is noticeable, in the paw - lameness, the cat will constantly lick or tear other points on the body with its claws.

Nose

The insect bite is often visible and clearly marked by redness. When initial symptoms occur, immediate treatment is required to reduce the allergic reaction in the cat.

If a wasp, bee or bumblebee sting occurred on the nose, but your cat was not given timely help, the resulting swelling will prevent the animal from eating normally. With significant complications, the latter can spread to the respiratory tract and lead to suffocation.

Cheek

When a bee stings your cat in the cheek area, swelling of the latter is observed, with the swelling possibly spreading to other parts of the body.

If affected, the pet shows weakness, develops chills, increased heart rate, wheezing and difficulty breathing. A cat’s body’s strong reaction to a wasp sting manifests itself in failures of its coordination.

Lip

This fact is easy to detect - the animal’s muzzle swells greatly, the lip protrudes, and the features become disproportionate. The cat leans against the cold wall, the ground, trying to calm the pain and get rid of the sting.

If a wasp has bitten your cat directly on the lip, then applying lotions is useless, just like using ointments. They will be licked off along with saliva and end up inside the stomach. Compresses must be used. To do this, use ice wrapped in a thin cloth. Compresses will help constrict the blood vessels, thereby preventing further spread of insect venom. The pain effect and swelling gradually decreases.

Language

You can find out that your cat has been bitten by a poisonous bee on the throat or tongue not only by noticeable shortness of breath - severe swelling, vomiting, and excessive salivation occurs. This is one of the most dangerous types of toxin damage, accompanied by swelling of the nasopharynx.

You cannot hesitate for a second; it is better to immediately help your pet by providing intensive therapy with special medications available at home.

Disinfestation products

You can treat the wound if a bee has stung a cat with medical alcohol, ammonia, any alcohol tincture, or hydrogen peroxide.

• Tincture of valerian, motherwort, and calendula soothes pain and relieves swelling. A small amount is applied to a cotton swab and applied to the sore spot.
• If there is no alcohol, prepare a paste from soda. Mix kitchen salt and baking soda in equal proportions, dilute with a little water to form a paste. Apply to the skin. Baking soda helps relieve swelling, pain, burning, itching.
• You can disinfect the wound with juice from orange, lemon, onion, and potato. Another effective remedy is laundry soap or an acidic solution. Table vinegar and citric acid are added to the water. They make lotions, apply a compress, wipe the skin.

In the future, to eliminate swelling, decoctions of medicinal herbs are used - chamomile, mint, lemon balm, calendula. The potion is poured with boiling water and left for half an hour. Sore spots need to be treated several times a day. The swelling goes away completely within 3 days.

Interesting!

The cat actively licks the bitten area with its tongue. Not only because the animal is in pain or unpleasant, but to disinfect the wound. Saliva is a natural antiseptic. Wild, stray cats treat themselves. The sting falls out over time without outside help.

Treatment of a cat after a bee sting

A cat's reaction to a bee sting usually goes away within a week. Soreness and swelling are gradually replaced by itching. If the cat begins to scratch the itchy area with its claws, there is a risk of secondary infection. To avoid suppuration and the development of ulcers, wounds after a bite should be treated daily to reduce itching.

For this purpose, you can use topical creams and ointments: Zvezdochka balm, Fenistil Gel, Beinval. Medicinal plants are sometimes used:

• juice of fresh parsley leaves;
• leaf of plantain, yarrow;
• dandelion roots;
• tansy decoction.

Can be used:

• lemon slice;
• a piece of raw potato;
• aloe juice;
• chopped onion, garlic;
• salty water.

These medications are applied to the bite site, lotions and compresses are made. If the condition of the sore spot does not improve within 3 days, you should seek help from a veterinarian. In most cases, to alleviate the suffering of a pet, it is enough to provide first aid and monitor the cat’s well-being for several days.

When, as a result of a bee sting, a cat urgently needs to contact a veterinary clinic

Cats, like dogs, can experience a severe allergic reaction, including anaphylactic shock, as a result of a bee sting. If a severe allergic reaction occurs, we may be talking about saving the animal and urgently going to a veterinary clinic.

Symptoms of anaphylactic shock in a cat:

The cat develops severe painful itching in the muzzle area. The cat suddenly begins to squat, rubbing its eyes, ears and muzzle with its paws. Often the cat does this all very furiously, meowing in bewilderment. As a result of the onset of bronchospasm and venous stagnation in the pulmonary circulation, the cat develops severe difficulty breathing. The visible mucous membranes of the head instantly turn blue and become cold to the touch. Subsequently, the cat develops swelling of the larynx, breathing becomes hoarse and intermittent. If emergency assistance is not provided, the cat will die from suffocation.

In addition, you must contact a veterinary clinic:

1. When a bee stings in the throat area or when a kitten swallows a bee.
2. The cat was attacked by several bees.
3. Very severe swelling at the site of the bee sting.
4. If a bee stings a small kitten, there is a high probability of developing anaphylactic shock.
5. The cat showed signs of suffocation, vomiting and coughing.
6. Increased salivation.
7. The bee sting is stuck in places that are difficult to reach and there is no way to remove it yourself.
8. The cat's body temperature rose sharply.
9. The cat behaves inappropriately, has seizures and loses consciousness.

Treatment

There are no special cat medications available for the treatment of insect bites, so people turn to traditional medications for help. The pet’s body’s reaction to the wasp toxin varies: from a small swelling to an anaphylactic shock state.

If there are signs of the latter, immediate hospitalization of the cat is required. A weak inflammatory focus can be stopped with improvised drugs from the first aid kit or at home.

Pills

Often, animal owners, when symptoms of damage appear, use homeopathic Apis tablets, in a dosage of two or three pieces. They quickly remove the risk of developing a further allergic reaction. If your pet has previously suffered from severe forms of allergies, you should always have this medication at home.

It is advisable to use corticosteroids. This series of drugs is prescribed by a doctor and refers to hormonal anti-inflammatory medications. Experienced cat breeders use Prednisolone in the form of pills, at a rate of 0.5 - 1 mg of the drug per kilogram of animal weight.

Ointments

To treat minor inflammation of soft tissues in cats, products based on medicinal herbs are used in the form of creams. They use the time-tested Zvezdochka, Bepanten, Menovazin. For symptoms of moderate severity, therapy with Fenistil gel is carried out. When the initial period of development of the disease has been missed, the clinical picture has acquired pronounced features, then the cat needs antiallergic ointments of deeper penetration: Triaccutane, Elokom, Advantan and Betamethasone.

In case of aggravating factors, in the form of a developed infectious focus, your cat requires a local antibiotic; the drugs most often used are Tetracycline, Gentamicin, Levomekol or Erythromycin.

Skin inflamed by a bee sting should be treated 1 to 4 times a day. As the disease disappears, the dosage is reduced. Treatments last 5-6 days. When the bite is on the body, paw or tail, and the cat’s well-being has not worsened, such therapy will be sufficient.

If a cat was bitten by a wasp, and after 2 days the pet’s health has not improved, it is recommended to show the animal to a veterinarian.

Treating an allergic reaction with potent drugs without consulting a qualified specialist is extremely risky. If the dosage is selected incorrectly, they can reduce weak immunity and lead to the recurrence of the disease in the infectious plane. If it is not possible to take the injured cat to a medical center, you can consult a doctor by phone and carry out treatment yourself.

Therapy with Dexamethasone, Prednisolone, and Diazolin is usually recommended. In cases where a bee has bitten a kitten, Benadryl is used. The widespread Suprastin is not a universal enough medicine and does not find an immune response in all cats.

Folk remedies

Many owners prefer traditional medicines to pharmaceutical ones, due to their complete safety and ability to use in unlimited quantities. Their effectiveness is not as high as drug therapy, but is still beneficial. Use the following tips:

• A piece of citrus fruit or apple applied to vinegar relieves irritation;
• Treat the area with soapy water, tincture of chamomile, sea buckthorn, and calendula, which have a calming effect;
• Turmeric diluted with water helps relieve inflammation;
• An oatmeal bath can eliminate itching and pain in your pet;
• Citric acid diluted with water relieves swelling well.

When a bee bites your cat on the body or paw, this type of therapy should be sufficient. Despite the abundance of different treatment options invented by traditional healers, if your pet gets worse, it is better to seek help from a qualified specialist.