A cat was bitten by a wasp or a bee: what to do at home

What danger do insect bites pose to cats?

For young and inexperienced cats, wasps and other large insects are of great interest as objects for play.
The animals are very mobile and will happily chase an insect, trying to catch it with their paws. Not surprisingly, such fun often leads to bites. If a cat is bitten by an insect, you need to pay attention to which part of the body the damage occurred. The safest place is a bite on the paw or the back of the body. As a rule, a healthy animal is able to cope with the problem on its own, and the owner’s help is not required. Even if there is swelling on the paw that interferes with walking, the cat should not be disturbed; everything will go away within 2-3 days.

More dangerous are situations when the bite occurs in the head and throat of the animal. If poison enters the bloodstream near the cat's face, nose, or mouth, it can cause widespread swelling in the airways, resulting in suffocation.

You should be especially careful about bites to the eyes. Such damage is fraught with serious complications and can cause the development of inflammatory processes and suppuration.

Stinging insects pose a serious danger to animals suffering from allergies. If a cat has increased sensitivity to insect venom, the likelihood of death after a bite is quite high. 2-3 bites can cause severe intoxication in the animal’s body and, as a result, death.

Why is insect venom dangerous?

When a wasp bites, it inserts its sting into the skin and releases poison, which includes biologically active substances and enzymes. If they enter the bloodstream, they can cause serious health problems:

1. Melitin. A toxin that destroys red blood cells, disrupts local metabolism in tissues, makes the walls of blood vessels permeable and contributes to the development of the inflammatory process.
2. Histamine. It is a mediator of allergic reactions. It tones smooth muscles, expands capillaries and promotes the permeability of their walls, causing tissue swelling. Histamine also lowers blood pressure.
3. Hyaluronidase. This is an enzyme that breaks down mucopolysaccharides and increases tissue permeability, which contributes to the spread of edema.

A bee or wasp sting can cause an allergic reaction, followed by intoxication of the body, and then anaphylactic shock.

A wasp sting is especially dangerous, since the venom of this insect is more toxic than that of a bee. When it gets into the skin it causes a strong burning sensation. The pain syndrome persists for several hours. However, this is not the main danger.

A Hymenoptera bite to the head or neck area is fraught with swelling, which can spread to the respiratory system and cause an attack of suffocation. No less dangerous is poison getting into the groin. In this case, swelling will obstruct the flow of urine. A bite to the eyelid can cause severe inflammation of the eye and can even lead to loss of vision.

Bite symptoms

A person cannot always notice when a cat has been bitten by a wasp. You can suspect an attack by the pet’s behavior and appearance. The animal meows pitifully, tries to lick and bite the sore spot. Upon examination, a red spot, swelling, and scratches from the cat’s attempts to scratch the sore spot are found on the skin.

The wasp injects poison with its sting, which provokes severe swelling. The degree of inflammation depends on the age of the pet and the location of the bite. Swelling is more severe in kittens when poison gets into the muzzle area - nose, cheek, eye.

The symptoms when a cat is stung by a wasp are no different from those in humans. Normal body reaction:

• redness no more than 10 mm in diameter;
• edema;
• burning;
• pain;
• after a few hours itching.

The presence of a strong allergic reaction after a wasp attack can be determined by external signs on the skin, systemic:

• severe swelling;
• redness over 1 cm in diameter;
• additional rash;
• incessant itching;
• increased salivation;
• lacrimation;
• breathing problems, lack of air;
• swelling of the larynx;
• diarrhea;
• weakness;
• increased body temperature;
• vomit;
• convulsions;
• lack of appetite.

Allergy symptoms in cats may disappear on their own after a few days, but there is a possibility of a severe reaction involving the respiratory organs in the pathological process. Swelling of the larynx occurs in a few minutes, the cat dies without emergency assistance.

On a note!

Manifestations of allergies in a cat, cats appear immediately after a bite, the immune system reacts to damage to the skin, ingestion of poison instantly. A severe allergic reaction appears within 5-20 minutes. At this time, you need to observe the animal in order to quickly respond to the situation if necessary.

Chills

Chills are one of the most common signs of a bite. The poison causes muscle spasms and the characteristic signs of a spasm can be seen by the movements of the animal.

In this case, the tail may not move at all or may be overly excited with movements that were previously unusual for it. The animal can also quickly open and close its mouth wide.

Swelling

In most cases, the swelling can only be seen if the bite is on the face.

Most often, wasps sting cats on the nose, which is why the affected area really increases in size and is difficult not to notice. In other cases, palpation is unlikely to quickly determine the location of the attack. Unless you can observe where the animal is trying to reach in an attempt to lick the wound.

Increased salivation

The most characteristic symptom, which is difficult to confuse with something else, is increased salivation or, in human terms, salivation.

If an animal is drooling, there is no need to rush to conclusions about rabies. Firstly, it’s worth looking for other symptoms, and secondly, in any case, here is a direct route to the veterinarian.

Other

In addition to inappropriate behavior, spasms, salivation, swelling and itching at the site of the bite, the animal experiences an increase in temperature (the nose becomes dry and hot), tears flow, and if the bite falls on the paw, it is painful for the animal to lean on it. There are also cases when cats begin to vomit or the animal breathes heavily.

Often stung patients have a slight loss of coordination, this is especially noticeable in cats. Much more severe, but you can still notice that the cat has an increased heart rate and a state of shock.

Separately, it is worth highlighting the symptoms of anaphylactic shock, when a pet requires emergency assistance from specialists. If a strong allergic reaction occurs, the animal begins to persistently rub its eyes, meow strangely, breathe very heavily and frequently (this will be visible by the movement of the chest), wheezing can be heard, and the mucous membranes acquire a blue tint.

Important! If you do not have time to take action in time for anaphylactic shock, a spasm in the bronchi will soon block the airways and the pet will simply suffocate.

How to tell if a cat has been bitten by a wasp

Due to the thick fur, a wasp bite on a cat’s body is quite difficult to detect. If the owner was nearby during the insect attack, he will notice the pet's strange behavior. The cat will jump sharply to the side due to severe pain, begin to meow loudly and behave aggressively - hissing, scratching or biting.

Lameness is a sign that the sting has gotten into the paw. If a wasp stings a cat in the face, redness and swelling will appear almost immediately. In any case, cats that have been bitten do not behave as usual. The animal does not allow itself to be examined, it breaks out and licks the sore spot if it can reach it.

First reaction

First, redness appears at the site of the wasp or bee sting. The pet experiences itching and pain, like after a burn. Swelling gradually appears at the site of the bite. Sometimes it is small and resembles a lump the size of a nut. In some cases, the surrounding tissues greatly increase in size.

The stung animal tries to scratch, lick or even chew the affected area. To relieve pain, the cat presses against a cool surface - the ground, the floor.

Symptoms that appear over time

Some time after a wasp sting, your cat may show signs of an allergic reaction:

• hives;
• increased salivation;
• increased body temperature;
• difficulty breathing, wheezing or gurgling sounds;
• convulsions;
• loss of consciousness.

Signs of anaphylactic shock

Persians, Britons and Angora cats are prone to allergic reactions, so they are at increased risk if they are stung by a wasp. They can quickly experience anaphylactic shock and death. An attack by stinging insects is also dangerous under the following conditions:

• age up to 6 months;
• recently had an infectious disease or surgery;
• presence of chronic diseases;
• gender – in males, allergies occur more often than in females, and are more severe;
• A hypersensitivity reaction to insect venom had previously been observed.

Attention! Multiple wasp stings are more dangerous than single ones, especially for a kitten. In this case, more toxic substances enter the blood, therefore increasing the risk of developing a severe reaction.

Pain and itching after a bite are not life-threatening for the cat. The discomfort will go away in a few hours. The real threat is anaphylactic shock.

It manifests itself:

• lethargy, inhibited reactions;
• blanching of the mucous membranes;
• chills, increased heart rate;
• wheezing;
• weak and frequent pulse;
• vomiting;
• involuntary urination.

Attention! In most cases, anaphylaxis develops rapidly – ​​a few minutes after a cat is bitten by a wasp or bee. In some animals, the reaction may take several hours to appear. It is very important to carefully monitor the cat's condition so that if signs of anaphylactic shock occur, help can be provided quickly.

How to find bite sites?

It is quite difficult to detect a stung area of ​​the body. This happens due to the fact that the cat does not give in to hands, hisses and scratches. Therefore, you need to monitor the behavior of the animal and notice parts of its body in which changes have occurred.

Nose

The bite mark can be easily seen as the nose becomes swollen and red. It is recommended to carry out therapy to reduce the allergic process in the animal. If your pet is stung on the nose, he will not be able to eat normally. In addition, complications often arise that can spread to the respiratory tract.

Cheek

If insect venom gets into the cheek area, it will swell. There is a chance that the swelling will spread to other parts of the cat's face. In this case, the animal will feel chills, become weak, the heart rate will increase, and there will be difficulty breathing. In addition, the cat will be disoriented.

Language

It is difficult to find out about a bite on the tongue, since there are no external signs. However, if severe salivation and vomiting are noticeable, we can conclude that the insect sting got into the pet’s mouth. This is a dangerous type of lesion because swelling of the nasopharynx may occur. In this case, you cannot hesitate. It is necessary to carry out therapy and show the cat to a veterinarian.

Lip

The cat's face swells, the lip usually protrudes, and the features look unnatural. In such a situation, the animal leans against cold objects and tries to reduce the pain. To help your pet, you need to apply compresses. They constrict blood vessels and stop the spread of poison.

First aid

An ice compress can be applied to the problem area of ​​the animal.
In the absence of an allergic reaction, the animal’s body copes with the effects of the poison on its own, and all symptoms disappear within 3-4 days. Since an insect bite is painful and itchy for a pet, the owner can alleviate its condition. If a cat is bitten by a bee in the country, you need to move it to a cool room and inspect the site of the bite. Unlike a wasp, a bee or hornet sting leaves a sting in the wound and must be carefully removed with tweezers. The amount of poison that enters the body depends on whether the sting breaks or not. In the future, you can wash the wound with soap and wipe the swelling area with a solution of 9% vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio. It would be a good idea to apply a compress with ice cubes or just a towel soaked in cold water to the wound.

The owner may not always know how the poison will affect his pet, so you need to pay special attention if the wasp sting happened in dangerous places, which are described in the table:

If a cat is stung by a wasp in high-risk areas, you should urgently contact your veterinarian for further advice.

Drugs

On the recommendation of a doctor, your pet can be given an injection of Dexamethasone.
Self-medication can put your pet's life at risk. Therefore, if it is not possible to visit the clinic, you need to contact your doctor by phone and describe the symptoms if the cat eats a bee. Antihistamines can be used only after the dosage is recommended by a specialist. The medications presented in the table will help relieve symptoms and avoid worsening the condition:

Folk remedies

Using folk recipes, you can help your pet relieve pain and itching if he has eaten a stinging insect and it has bitten him. Often the situation is unexpected if the cat is in a village or country house where there is no access to a clinic or pharmacy. The effectiveness of traditional methods is often questioned, but when an animal needs urgent help, you need to know and make the most of the available means.

You can reduce the effect of insect venom on an animal with the help of lemon.

• A piece of apple, orange or lemon should be applied to the bite site, as the acid slightly neutralizes the effect of the poison.
• If you have chamomile or calendula in your medicine cabinet, you can make a compress from an infusion of these herbs; if a cat has been bitten in the eye by a wasp, you need to rinse it.
• Turmeric powder diluted with water will relieve inflammation.
• Thyme or lavender essential oil (3 drops) mixed with 1 tsp will greatly reduce irritation. apple cider vinegar and rub into the bite area.

How to give a cat an injection yourself

As described above, in many cases the owner will have to give the cat an intramuscular injection himself. For many, it is a big problem to give an injection to a person, not to mention an unconscious animal. However, this must be done, and how to do this will be described below.

It all starts with choosing a syringe. For injections, you can use regular syringes, which are sold at the pharmacy. Since the dosage of drugs is usually limited to one standard ampoule, there is no point in taking a 10 cc syringe. A standard 2cc is best. If the injection is to be given to a kitten, then you can limit yourself to insulin. These syringes have the thinnest needles and the injection will be less painful.

Anyone can handle putting medicine into a syringe. It is important that there is no air in the syringe. After dialing, you can lightly press the plunger so that the medicine enters the needle and all the air comes out.

Next, you need to involve all your household or neighbors. It is advisable to wear thick clothing, as the animal is irritated and will protect its integrity.

The pet must be secured so that the middle of the thigh is open for the injection. You can pour alcohol over the injection site. Next, insert the needle. You don’t have to worry too much about the depth - 5-10 mm is the most optimal penetration depth.

Important! First you need to insert the needle to the required depth, quickly make sure that the injection is placed correctly and only then press the piston.

After fixing the position, slowly press down on the piston. There is no need to do this abruptly. Then carefully remove the needle from the animal’s body and treat it with alcohol again. If the animal lies obediently, you can apply cotton wool for a while.

A wasp or bee sting is quite dangerous for cats, especially very small ones. The danger is not so much the bite itself, but the allergic reaction that may follow it. Just like in humans, in cats it can be expressed by spasm and swelling of the airways. As a result, the animal may simply suffocate. To prevent this from happening, you must always keep it at home, and if this is an outing, take with you anti-allergenic and anti-inflammatory drugs. If your own skills to help a stung cat are not enough, you need to urgently take the animal to a veterinary clinic.

First aid for a bite

To help owners, veterinarians have developed a guide telling them what to do immediately after a wasp stings a cat. So, to avoid serious consequences (but not harm the animal) you need to:

• dilute 9% table vinegar in water in a ratio of 1:1 and thoroughly wipe the bite area with it;
• wash the bite with soap and water;
• Wrap pieces of ice or any frozen food in a thin plastic bag and apply the resulting ice compress to the bite site.

If a wasp has bitten a cat, for example, on the paw or another place that is not “strategically important” for the health of the animal, these actions will be quite enough to prevent the swelling from growing too much. There is no point in doing anything else for the pet owner.

Actions for allergies

If a cat is bitten by a wasp on the paw, nothing bad will happen. You just need to provide first aid and observe the pet’s behavior for an hour. The most dangerous consequences from an attack are in the muzzle area. If you are bitten on the nose or lip, the risk of severe swelling increases. Within a few minutes, the larynx swells, which interferes with the flow of air. In this case, immediate administration of adrenaline and an antihistamine solution is required.

If you are bitten in the eye or cheek, you should immediately give your pet an antiallergic drug in the form of tablets or drops. They use drugs for people - Claritin, Suprastin, Diazolin, Fenistil, ElCet. The medicine must be given to the victim if the wasp has bitten a kitten of different ages. The very first bite in his life is dangerous, since there are no antibodies to the poison in his blood, as well as the second. The risk of developing an allergy increases when the allergen enters the bloodstream again.

To eliminate a local allergic reaction, use antiallergic, antihistamine ointments or preparations based on natural herbal ingredients if the allergy is mild.

On a note!

Don't panic if your cat eats a wasp. An animal may swallow an insect during play. It doesn't sting in the stomach. A bite while in the mouth is determined by the condition of the tongue; if it does not swell, everything is fine. Otherwise, you need to give your pet an antihistamine.

Photos of animals that were bitten by a wasp are presented below. The severity of allergy symptoms directly depends on the individual characteristics of the body and the state of the immune system. Pedigree pets are prone to allergic reactions. Outdoor cats and male cats tolerate wasp stings without any problems. The sore spot will ache for a day and will begin to heal. If the Sphynx was bitten by a wasp or another short-haired pet, the help of antihistamines will be required.

Medicines that can be used to relieve symptoms and combat allergies

As mentioned above, the first thing the owner needs to do if a cat shows initial signs of general intoxication and allergies is to take the animal to a veterinary hospital without hesitation. Before a visit to the clinic, medications to eliminate symptoms and alleviate the pet’s condition are allowed to be used only after consultation with a doctor, at least by phone - otherwise the cat can be seriously harmed.

Allergy

If a bee sticks its sting into the muzzle area, there is a high probability of swelling of the larynx, which makes breathing difficult. Your cat should be immediately given adrenaline and antihistamine therapy, i.e. Give an antiallergic drug: ointment, tablets, drops.

Pedigree pets and cats with weak immunity are more susceptible to the development of reactions. Don't worry if your kitten swallowed a wasp or it doesn't bite inside the stomach. Make sure that the insect does not manage to sting the oral cavity. A bee sting is excluded when no symptoms appear within 30 minutes.

First aid and treatment

You can help a cat that has been bitten by a wasp at home yourself. At the same time, it is important to know what to use in treatment, what medications will not harm the pet, and what will help him best in a particular case.

Examination of the wound

The site of the bite needs to be examined: the wasp extremely rarely leaves a sting in the wound, but if this happens, it must be carefully removed with tweezers without crushing it, otherwise even more poison will get into the wound.

Cold compress and wound care

The wasp can leave its sting in the bite area, which pulsates and delivers poison to the animal’s body. Therefore, at the very beginning of processing, you should get rid of the sting. It can be picked up with a regular needle or tweezers and removed like a splinter.

It is necessary to disinfect the affected area. To do this, you can use ammonia or any tincture that was created based on alcohol. It is necessary to moisten the cotton wool generously and wipe the sore area.

In addition to treating the wound, you need to apply a cold compress to the bitten area. This is necessary so that the swelling goes down faster. You can make a compress by wrapping pieces of ice or a cold product in a plastic bag and applying it to the affected area.

Pills

When the first symptoms of damage appear, many animal owners usually use homeopathic Apis tablets, a dosage of 2-3 pieces. The drug eliminates the risk of developing a reaction to wasp venom.

Experienced cat owners use Prednisolone in pill form. It is used at a rate of 0.5 – 1 mg per kilogram of pet’s weight. In addition to these substances, it is recommended to use corticosteroids, as they are anti-inflammatory drugs.

Ointments

To treat minor inflammation, you can use herbal substances in the form of ointments. Many people use Zvezdochka, Menovazin or Bepanten. For moderate inflammatory processes, Fenistil-gel can be used.

If the disease has developed and the symptoms have become more pronounced, you should use deep penetration ointments - Elok, Betamethasone or Advantan.

Inflamed skin areas need to be treated 3-4 times a day. As the swelling subsides, you can reduce the dosage. The treatment process itself lasts from 4 to 6 days.

It is recommended to purchase ointment after consultation with a specialist. The fact is that an incorrectly selected drug can reduce the cat’s immunity, which will lead to more serious consequences.

First aid

It is important to know what to do and how to act promptly, what medications to use if your cat is suddenly bitten by a bee.

The first step is to remove the sting, which could remain under the skin and continues to exude pathogenic poison. When a wasp stings, it is gone.

• The cat or cat needs to be taken from the street, provided with coolness and complete peace.
• The bee's sting must be removed carefully using tweezers so as not to damage its integrity. You need to act carefully, otherwise the end of the poisoned needle will remain under the pet's skin and further surgical intervention may be necessary. After removing the bee tip, you need to press on both sides of the hole with your fingers - blood will come out of it, and along with it the remaining poison should come out.
• Next, the problem area of ​​the cat’s body is treated with an antiseptic to remove inflammation. This can be a pharmaceutical cream, drug, ointment or folk remedies.
• To make the swollen part go away faster, use a cold compress.

Folk remedies

To relieve itching and pain, you can use infusions of chamomile or calendula in the form of compresses. And also slices of lemon, apple, orange - natural acids partially neutralize the effect of the poison.

Can a cat do without help?

Most often, the cat’s body copes with wasp venom without consequences. If the bite is not on the head, throat or groin, the cat’s immunity, as a rule, gradually copes with the poison itself, and the swelling subsides after a few days.

Even if, for example, the stung paw has become twice as large due to swelling, this will go away in 3-4 days without any intervention from the cat owner or veterinarian.

Sometimes a sting is not accompanied by any symptoms at all. But even if the animal’s condition does not appear to have changed after a wasp sting, it is necessary to closely monitor its health in the first hours after the incident, since the reaction can be delayed.

Where do wasps sting cats most often?

If you suspect that your pet has been stung by a wasp, you need to carefully examine its body. An insect bite is not always accompanied by swelling, and swelling on the body of a long-haired animal may simply not be noticed.

Most often, a wasp stings a cat in the area of ​​the mouth and pads of the front paws, because the animal tries to grab the insect with these parts of the body. Slightly less often, the wasp stings above the pads of the front paws and the muzzle.

Symptoms of a wasp sting

Depending on the location of the accumulation of poison, symptoms may vary and be more or less pronounced.

In most cases, the following symptoms are observed:

• the appearance of hives and itching in the sting area;
• chills and trembling in the body;
• loss of orientation in space;
• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
• excessive salivation;
• dyspnea;
• convulsions (rare);
• cardiopalmus;
• swelling;
• increase in body temperature.

If the bite occurred on the inside of the tongue or cheeks, there may be no obvious swelling.

Signs of anaphylactic shock

• weakness, unnatural behavior: the animal is lethargic or overly excited;
• vomit;
• mucous membranes are pale or bluish;
• breathing is difficult, wheezing is heard;
• the pulse quickens and becomes weak;
• cramps, involuntary urination.

Anaphylactic shock occurs in one animal in a thousand, but it can cause death. If a cat shows signs of anaphylactic shock after an insect bite, it is necessary to take the animal to the veterinarian as soon as possible. A cat can die within an hour if you don't give it help.

Pharmacy products

There are no special medications for cats.

1. To eliminate minor allergies, creams based on medicinal herbs, tinctures, Zvezdochka balm, Bepanten, Menovazin are used.
2. To eliminate moderate allergies, Fenistil gel is used.
3. With a pronounced clinical picture, antiallergic hormonal ointments are required - Advantan, Elokom, Betamethasone, Triaccutane.
4. If an infection gets into the wound, the sore spots are treated with a local antibiotic - Levomekol, Tetracycline, Erythromycin, Gentamicin.

The cat's skin should be treated 1-4 times a day; as the symptoms disappear, the dosage is reduced. Therapy lasts no more than 5 days. If the situation does not improve within 2 days, you need to show the cat to a veterinarian.

When to go to the vet

Answering the question - when should you go to the veterinarian, the only correct answer will be - always. The animal’s body requires a special approach, and when a cat is stung by a wasp, you need to go to the veterinary clinic as quickly as possible, because the procedures described above cannot guarantee that everything will be fine with the pet. In addition, the drugs listed may have their own side effects, not to mention that not everyone has the knowledge and courage to give their cat an injection.

Urinary incontinence in a cat: what to do at home

It is clear that visiting a veterinary clinic becomes mandatory when the bites are numerous, for example, when a cat is attacked by a flock of bees or wasps. Also, you shouldn’t waste your time if the cat is very young or still a kitten. The younger the animal, the more sensitive to poison.

Important! If you delay contacting a doctor, the animal may develop kidney failure due to the poison, and then saving the cat will be much more difficult and expensive.

Some situations will require full hospitalization. In the event of a strong reaction or a situation neglected by the owner, the veterinarian will have to install an incubation tube for the animal to feed its lungs with oxygen, while simultaneously injecting saline solution mixed with adrenaline to stop the attack. After this, the animal is given a Prednisolone drip, which will ease the bronchospasm.

After eliminating the allergic reaction, cats are usually left for a day under medical supervision.