Allergic reactions – what to do

Handsome Jackson showing his shaved patch from his trip to the emergency vet

Carry Benadryl tablets.  For dogs, the dosage is 1-2mg per pound of body weight (for adult Goldens usually 50-75 mg), and give immediately as a precaution after suspecting an insect bite, such as spider or yellowjacket.   Call the vet for advice.  In the case of severe facial swelling/itching, in addition to the Benadryl go to the vet immediately for steroids to halt the immune response.  Always have your vet and emergency vet contact info/location handy.

A week and a half ago, we had quite a scare because Jackson (Sport/Travis puppy) suddenly exhibited extreme facial swelling one evening.  His face was itching to the point that he rubbed part of his nose raw from scratching it against the floor.   Corina had discovered a hard pink lump on his chest that afternoon, but this reaction didn’t happen until they were returning from their walk several hours later.

Corina and I spoke on the phone, and she subsequently gave Jackson Benadryl but it wasn’t until after his face had been severely swollen for (I believe) about an hour.  This did calm the itching whereupon he fell asleep.  She knew to watch for signs of changed breathing, and when she suspected this about an hour later she rushed him to the emergency vet.   They suspected he may have been having an anaphylactic reaction so they gave him epinephrine, steroids, and put him on an IV for observation overnight.  Corina got him back the following morning, and he was very groggy that day, but by evening he was back to his happy-go-lucky self.

We strongly suspect that he had a reaction to a spider bite, especially since he had the large, hard, pink lump (with a small crater in the middle) on his chest that afternoon.  I’ve since found out that spider bites can be very bad for dogs and the reaction can be delayed by several hours.  Giving Benadryl in the cases of severe facial swelling is typically not enough– the dog should be taken to the vet to receive steroids which stops the immune response and takes the swelling down very quickly (thus hopefully avoiding the heavy-duty stuff like the epinephrine).

If I suspect that my dog has gotten an insect bite such as a yellowjacket sting, I give Benadryl immediately as a precaution, in an attempt to head off any reaction, rather than waiting for signs of a reaction to occur.  (I take Benadryl myself if I get stung, too.)   Then I’ll watch carefully over the next several hours for any signs of a reaction or signs of difficulty (pale gums, shallow breathing, inability to walk properly, blue gums (a dire emergency!!), etc..).   Check the eyes for a normal, alert expression– you want that!  If there is any doubt as to your dogs condition, please call the vet for advice.

Fortunately Jackson and Corina’s ordeal ended up fine, but I’m posting this so everyone can be prepared and learn from their experience– and be very wary of spider bites!