# Another allergic reaction



## julie allen (Dec 24, 2010)

Same reaction, different dog! WTH? yesterday morning Greta had a small swelling on her lip. No big deal, it went down.

Trained yesterday, she seemed a little lethargic, but worked and tugged just the same. Didn't eat last night (she often skips meals, not a big eater). We played for about an hour with a ball, she was fine, but as soon as we stopped she would be very still (never is still or quiet).

She seemed very ill, drooling, lethargic, seemed her neck was sore all night. This am at five, same symptoms, did not want to go out, very sick. No swelling though. At six, she wouldn't get off the bed, and began developing hives. In about fifteen to twenty minutes, her entire face was covered, ears, throat, eyes swollen. No trouble breathing though. I called the vet, gave her benadryl and dexamethasone. 

My ex husband has her at the vet now, sincea I was supposed to be at work at seven.:sad:
Eta: she was in my sight all day when outside, didn't notice her get stung by anything.


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## Lee May (Jan 8, 2012)

Do you have a cedar filled bed? She may be reacting to ceder fluff fill quite a few dogs will breakout from this. check and smell. Good luck.


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## julie allen (Dec 24, 2010)

The outdoor houses have cedar bedding, I have used it for years. None I doors though.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Wow I hope you get to the root of it. One dog I could see, but TWO?


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## Lee May (Jan 8, 2012)

Interesting, if you have indoor beds and problems flare in morning, I would bet it's something in the bed or filling, dryer sheets when washed?? maybe even coupled with a change of food, or eating something in your yard or chewing inside cedar dog house? I would try a process of elimination take one thing away for 2 days and see how things are in morning. But get to Vet as you know if heavy swelling in throat mouth. How old are your dogs? This sounds like a new thing with them.


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## Lee May (Jan 8, 2012)

Sorry misread your post outdoor cedar bedding, I think this is the problem esp if fresh ceder has been added. only takes a few rubs to get on dogs, and all day to irritate. Good luck.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Sounds not too good at all and hope you can get to the bottom of it. Are the dogs related at all, just curious?


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## julie allen (Dec 24, 2010)

Greta is not yet two. Libby is 7 months. Not related. 

So update, vet is guessing wasp, maybe one was inside and I didn't know? She had IV fluids, I gave her injectable benadryl and dexamethasone, they repeated benadryl, sending her home now. ( which sucks, as I work at work til 7 am)
She still isn't eating. The cedar bedding has been in there for a couple of months. 

These two stay in the house much more than the other five, which have not had any type or reaction (yet). Although Libby had been out a couple of hours, then I saw hives when I let her in, which is why I thought bee or wasp. But Greta had been inside all night.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

What time of year over there do your wasps generally come out ? Over here it is usually summer June/July but, came across a couple of huuuuge ones a few weeks ago, I wonder if it is likely due to the unseasonally mild weather.


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## julie allen (Dec 24, 2010)

Maggie, we are probably a month ahead of normal this year. Trees have bloomed and leaves are started good. Wasps have been swarming.


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## julie allen (Dec 24, 2010)

The snakes are out full force as well, normally I deal with one or two bites a year, but much different reaction.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

I really hope that wasps are not the cause of your troubles, there is not a whole lot you can do about that if they are about. My dog which I spoke of previously was not a wasp or fly catcher, he would be just nosing around as dogs do minding his own business. The two big wasps I just spoke of, where upstairs in the house, came from the attic I think. I am now a wasp killer extraordinaire....I don't even kill them quick, damn useless, thug species.

Good luck with whatever it is.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

Check your doghouses for hidden bug nests - had hornets build a nest in a doghouse up where you couldn't see it and it caused some problems til we found it. Any centipedes around your basement or yard?
- can cause a nasty reaction.


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## julie allen (Dec 24, 2010)

I checked dog houses and under the deck they have access to. I didn't think about centipedes. Good possibility.

So my ex picked her up, says the swelling is gone but she seems very depressed. She did eat and drink when he took her home. That's a good sign, as she is often off her feed. Not a big eater at all.

I do hope this was just some odd deal, and not going to be a recurring issue. Both will be exposed, as one does cadaver and other planning on trailing. I'll keep the emergency kit handy.


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## julie allen (Dec 24, 2010)

Update. Greta is back to normal, playing with her ball driving me crazy lol.
So I bathed her today and dislodged about an inch long stinger in her neck! Have no clue what has a stinger that size, but must be one hell of a bug! I guess she had a delayed reaction since it was still attached.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Glad shes better!
Was it barbed or did it have any tissue on the end sticking out?
The bee family can only sting once and they then get their stinger ripped out and die. 
The wasp/hornet family can sting over and over again but loosing the stinger would be unusual.
Could it possibly be a splinter of some sort?


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## julie allen (Dec 24, 2010)

The pointed end wasn't barbed, but it did have five small barbed hairlike deals at the base end. It seemed too narrow to be a thorn, and seemed like a sac at the end, but it was dried up. 

Its very strange. There was no sore or swelling at the site. Just seems too odd to not be related.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Boy I would save it. Maybe someone at a University entymology department can tell you what it is.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Ditto with Nancy! It would drive my curious streak crazy if for nothing else.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

I would too...sounds like a pretty heinous bug.


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

I would also keep it until I could figure out what it was. There are some wasps/hornets that have some things that look like huge stingers, but they are really for depositing eggs in stuff like rotten wood, not for stinging.

I dug an inch and a half long hawthorn out of my mal's chest once. It had been there a couple of days I presume because of the pus. Ewwww. Don't discount a plant possibility.

And when u solve what it is, please let us know!


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## Anna Kasho (Jan 16, 2008)

I hope you saved it also. Got any good clear pics? Maybe I can look it up...


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Anna Kasho said:


> I hope you saved it also. Got any good clear pics? Maybe I can look it up...


YES, pictures please!


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