VizslaMomma Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 (edited) Talk about using up one of the nine lives when you own a dog. Herbert managed to give me a bad scare. He woke up from a siesta. Went outside as usual. Prior to going outside he had a small piece of sausage. Not 4 minutes later, I heard a strangish whimper. Went ouside to check. His face, throat and chest were covered with hives. There are also dozens more over the rest of his body. I also noticed some 'fresh' gardening with his mark. No obvious marks or bites. Garden area has bull ants galore crawling everywhere. Gave him antihistamine just under the suggested dosage. Did that in case I need to give more withing 6 hours. No sign of distress or respiratory problems. Just a lot of hives. Any thoughts? Was it bull ants or the sausage or a combo? Yes, he is being monitored and I will go to the Vet if the situation changes. I've already called the Surgery. Edited December 17, 2014 by VizslaMomma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavsRcute Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 I would say it was the bull ants! Poor Herbert!! I suppose you can only keep an eye on his breathing and take advice from the vet. And be ready to drive him there! Calendula tea is quite good I believe, for topical application. Hope he's ok! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted December 14, 2014 Author Share Posted December 14, 2014 Thanks! Luckily I have the Calendula tea. I made the daily batch this morning. He's been wiped down and appears OK. I did not realize the bull ants were so bad in the back yard. Certainly in the front area we have dozens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 I've got sugar ants - they look like bull ants but are more docile - out the front of my house but they're not allowed to make homes in the yard. My usual "relocate" instruction is a whole kettle full of near boiling water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 real bull ants? Inch ants? get rid of them !! Must admit ..he is braver than I , if he did get bitten - I screamed the place down - the pain was like someone had driven a red hot knife into my leg! Bull ants can cause all sorts of problems ! perhaps ..and I have no idea if dogs get it - but MSG affects me the same - hives/pain and much discomfort. I do not eat sausages anymore, cos most have MSG in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted December 14, 2014 Author Share Posted December 14, 2014 (edited) real bull ants? Inch ants? get rid of them !! Must admit ..he is braver than I , if he did get bitten - I screamed the place down - the pain was like someone had driven a red hot knife into my leg! Bull ants can cause all sorts of problems ! perhaps ..and I have no idea if dogs get it - but MSG affects me the same - hives/pain and much discomfort. I do not eat sausages anymore, cos most have MSG in Now I feel silly. I have been back out to the area where he *coughed* did the gardening. There's nothing there. No creepies of any sort. I concede we have ants in the front yard. But the back yard seems without them. And neither of us screamed in fright. May have been a combination of sausage & whatever was in the soil. Hives are still there. Edited December 15, 2014 by VizslaMomma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 poor boy - bet he feels awful hope he settles overnight with another dose of A/H . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranga Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Hope Herbert gets better soon Sounds like a reaction to some additive to the sausage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumabaar Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Quite likely the ants- my boy had a similar reaction on his privates!! It sounds like you have the situation in hand. Ice (ice pack in the fridge until it is chilled will do) will assist with swelling and discomfort. I have also used oat water (boil oats in water then smear the goop on for really uncomfortable areas and the water on other areas) to good effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 Quite likely the ants- my boy had a similar reaction on his privates!! It sounds like you have the situation in hand. Went with the ants scenario, Jumabaar. I gave 4 lots of anti-histamines with no improvement. Vet time , of course. We went ALL over Handsome Herbert. Nothing obvious. Then the Vet decided to check his ears. Poor baby still had part of the stinger from a wasp a fair way down the ear canal. But the thing was it was not the ear that he had been scratching. He's much better now. Vet made the comment that he was a well behaved dog to let him poke around the ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 (edited) gremlins....... Edited December 17, 2014 by VizslaMomma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Glad he's ok! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share Posted December 17, 2014 Glad he's ok! :) I agree. The swelling made him look like an old boy. One plus was the fact I have always done plenty of work going all over his body. He does not mind being poked and prodded. Takes it in his stride. And loves the treat at the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stressmagnet Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I'm glad he's back to his handsome self! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph M Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Herbert, you horror! I die laughing, Gus did the same thing as a pup with a bee. I thought he was going to go the full Violet Beauregard and turn into a Blueberry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share Posted December 17, 2014 Herbert, you horror! I die laughing, Gus did the same thing as a pup with a bee. I thought he was going to go the full Violet Beauregard and turn into a Blueberry! Just what I thought.............. Willy Wonka came to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yonjuro Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Oh, dear that must have been frightening. I am glad he is doing okay now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denali Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Glad we know what it is! Now he can eat more sausages Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayla1 Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Quite likely the ants- my boy had a similar reaction on his privates!! It sounds like you have the situation in hand. Went with the ants scenario, Jumabaar. I gave 4 lots of anti-histamines with no improvement. Vet time , of course. We went ALL over Handsome Herbert. Nothing obvious. Then the Vet decided to check his ears. Poor baby still had part of the stinger from a wasp a fair way down the ear canal. But the thing was it was not the ear that he had been scratching. He's much better now. Vet made the comment that he was a well behaved dog to let him poke around the ears. How did the vet know it was a wasp rather than a bee, are the wasp stingers different to bee stingers? Glad to hear he is much better now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share Posted December 17, 2014 Glad we know what it is! Now he can eat more sausages oh, he already tried that. Sat in front of DaddyVizsla. Put up the paw and looked starved. Before I could say no, I heard the clack of the jaws closing on the morsel. And the charge out to the freedom of the backyard to munch in peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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