Ouch! Creepy crawly, stinging insect season is here
By Kim Campbell Thornton
April 29, 2008
Poor Harper was stung by a bee this afternoon, somewhere on a hind leg. She was screaming bloody murder and running in circles trying to get it off her. I didn’t know what was wrong until I saw it fall off and then I stomped it and carried her inside, dragging Bella and Twyla behind me. I called the vet, who recommended a quarter tablet of Benadryl and a cold compress.
She’s still freaked out by it. She curled up into as small a ball as possible on the sofa and stared at me with that expression that said “How could you let that happen to me?” She wouldn’t eat dinner, and I haven’t been able to get her to go potty since. I have visions–terrible visions–that this will set back her house training. She acts so grown up most of the time that I forget what a little baby she still is.
I took her out a little while ago and we practiced heeling around the complex, my hope being that it would keep her mind off the scary stinging things that might be lurking outdoors. Still no potty action. We came back in and I opened the garage door, only to see a large black spider (the garden kind, I think, not a black widow). Naturally, Harper ran right toward it and brushed up against its web. I don’t know what I would have done if it had gotten on her since I’m an arachnophobe from way back. I guess we would have both had the heebie jeebies.
Speaking of fun words like heebie jeebies, I saw a new coinage today (new to me, anyway) in the LA Times food section. It was “dogateur,” a reference to vendors of premium hot dogs. I like it as much as my creation of barkoisie.
Well, we’re going to go outside one last time before going to bed. Wish us luck.
I had this happen to my older girl. She got stung in the mouth after catching a bee. My but you have no idea how big those lips get until this happens. Swelled up like a football. Of course we went to Vet and all was better soon. This happened a couple years ago. She still does not like going outside in the back yard where it happened. Very prickly about anything that twitches out there. Up in the front yard she is happy to run out and do her thing. Bad back yard, bad… Yup it’s bug time.
Comment by Lost for Words — April 30, 2008 @ 5:33 am
Ah…
the joys of Spring and Summer…bugs!
I have an aversion to them…so I can relate. When I was a kid I would go outside on the back porch to play. And without fail, the bugs would start crawling towards me…which caused me to start screaming!
My mom would come outside to see what was wrong, and then told me that the bugs were just as scared of me as I was of them.
I thought, “So why are they crawling towards me then???” I never quite bought her answer.
As an adult, I don’t scream anymore, but try to stay away from them.
Comment by Marcy — April 30, 2008 @ 2:07 pm
Ah, bees. We have a very special relationship with them at my house, since my (normally very bright) girl can’t seem to resist them. Seriously! We have at least two or more bee ‘eating’ incidents every year. Honest to doG, I have started carrying benadryl in my purse just for her. I’ll never forget a seminar we were at in late winter. Since this is Houston, the doors were open to the nice weather, and the one bee awake in a hundred mile radius buzzed in and landed in from of Holly. Before I could blink - chomp - and then the frantic pawing at her mouth after the sting. She’s normally a quick learner. . .
Comment by Cardimom — May 1, 2008 @ 6:57 am