TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Veterinarians Remind Pet Owners About Dangers Of Insects

ADVERTISEMENT

By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 29, 2008

Updated: 07/29/2008 06:53 pm

TAMPA - The dog days of summer can be downright fatal.

After an 18-month-old pit bull mix was stung to death by a swarm of Italian honeybees this week, local animal experts issued warnings: Beware six- and eight-legged creatures if you own one of the four-legged domesticated varieties.

Flea and tick bites are part of the problem – the part pet owners are most accustomed to dealing with. But bees, mosquitoes and spiders and the occasional scorpion pose a regular threat to pet health, too.

How regular?

Four pets received treatment for bug bites or stings during a Monday night shift at Florida Veterinarian Specialists in Carrollwood, said Sonja Olson, an emergency veterinarian there.

"I get those cases on a regular basis," Olson said. "On almost on every shift, there is a case of some degree of allergic reaction."

The most affective protection an owner can provide: "Keep your pet inside," said Hillsborough County Animal Control veterinarian Lisa Centonze. "Inside pets live a lot longer than outdoor pets. You can also have your yard treated for insects like ants and get your beehives removed."

But even indoor dogs and cats can suffer, Olson said. She received a call this week about a dog that was bitten by a spider while sleeping, and the pooch swelled up.

"It was very intense allergic reaction."

For all pets, summertime is bug time. That's when insects seem to be more active.

Mosquitoes and ticks are main transmitters of disease, Olson and Centonze agreed, but other bites and stings can cause reactions that are just as troubling. They tend to result in allergic skin reactions in dogs and cause respiratory problems in cats.

Black and brown widows and the brown recluse spider pose threats to pets as well as people, Olson said.

"They are more common than we'd like to think about," she said, "and when they bite, they pack quite a wallop."

Fire ants are just obnoxious, she said.

"When pets step on a mound, the ants climb up and down and bite the paws, legs and bellies in no time at all."

It's important to protect pets from bug bites, she added: "We have to be conscious that we live in a state which has all these insects."

Keep animals from nosing around in places they can get bit, she advised, such as under porches or in bushes. And treat lawns with pet-friendly substances that knock down flea and ant populations.

Tick diseases are emerging as a bigger pet problem these days, said Centonze of Hillsborough County Animal Control. The insects are making their way into urban areas in the mulch people put in planters.

But mosquitoes are a more serious concern, she said, because they can lead to potentially fatal heartworms. A solution is once-a-month chewable tablets or topical medication.

Otherwise, "it's just a matter of time" before a dog or cat becomes infected," she said.

According to PetEducation.com, stings from bees, wasps, hornets or ants usually produce signs within 20 minutes and may get more severe over the next 24 hours.

Pet owners should not try to remove a stinger with tweezers; this may squeeze more venom into the victim, the Web site said. It's better to gently scrape the stinger out with a plastic credit card or something similar.

Remove the stinger as soon as possible and slather on a paste of baking soda and water to relieve the itching, according to the Web site. Ice packs, ammonia or calamine lotion also can be applied to relieve the pain.

On Monday in Largo, a swarm of bees killed a pit bull puppy named Mimi after stinging her more than 1,000 times.

Owner Lisa Pham said she let Mimi outside just before 1 p.m. and heard yelping minutes later. Bees swarmed around the dog, repeatedly stinging it.

The beekeeper exterminated the bees and removed the hive Monday night.

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT