Dog fire ant bites

So I was walking my dog Kaiser one day, when a friend of mine stopped with his car. We chit chatted for a few minutes when Kaiser suddenly started rolling on the ground. It looked a bit awkward for him to do that so I pulled him up and told him to behave. Minutes later, he was again on the ground this time jerking frantically as if something serious was going on.

As I looked at him this time I saw the source of his agitation, there were several fire ants right on the spot. My poor dog was being bitten all over by them! I moved him away and headed home to check him out.

It looked like the most of the bites were on his legs, as the ants were trying to climb. I decided to keep a careful eye on him as I checked if I had some Benadryl on hand in case he was going to suffer an allergic reaction.

Shortly thereafter, when I came back he started licking at the bitten areas. A little lick here and there shortly turned out being an obsessive licking and biting that was not going to end soon.

I therefore applied what I knew was a good remedy for pets bitten by bees, wasps and all those nasty stinging creatures. I made a paste of baking soda and water and applied it to the wound. I also applied an ice pack covered in a towel every few minutes.

The baking soda/water paste aplied to the wound worked pretty quickly. I think the fact that the baking soda was in my freezer (to keep odors away) helped further give relief. Minutes later he was resting peacefully and he ignored the bites for the rest of the day. I am happy there was no need to give the Benadryl as I am not too fond of giving medications to dogs.

However, in severe cases a dosage of 1-2 mg of Benadryl per pound is a good remedy for dogs suffering from insect bites. As with administrating any medication over the counter it is highly advisable to discuss this option with your veterinarian first.

Days later Kaiser's legs were full of whitish gray marks where he was bitten. These marks really took a long time to diminish.

Kaiser only suffered from a mild reaction but there have been reported cases of dogs dying for anaphylactic shock. Usually this occurs within minutes after being stung. Warning signs are difficulty breathing, collapse and respiratory failure.

Here are a few tips:

-Never hose down a dog with fire ants. The ants will only panick and bite down harder.

-Keep an eye on the bite. If the area swells up this may indicate a possible infection that requires treatment.

-Try to limit your dog biting at the area. Fire ant bites seem to be painful at first and terribly itchy after ward, try to put ice packs and baking soda and water paste to give relief.

-Always keep on hand Benadryl especially for signs of allergic reactions.

- Use common sense and call your vet promptly if something does not look right.

-Contact an exterminator should you see fire ants in your yard.

Kaiser as of today still has marks on his legs, three months later. I wonder how long it will take for them to disappear completely. In the meanwhile, I make sure my dogs stay away from these nasty creatures.