I'm still feeling really shaky from todays walk.... we went down by the river as it was really hot and i thought they could both have a swim... alfie (my lab) recently sliced his pad badly so hasn't been able to do much lately so we walked down our usual route only to come accross a field of cows so we detoured to the otherside of the field and along the main river.... it was lovely, we spotted a family of swans and all was great until billy did his "i've stung my feet" dance which he usually does with nettles and came running to me for reassurance.... the next thing i know my mum shouts for me to call alfie.... i look up and he's COVERED in wasps
me and my mum were screaming at him to come because he was right next to the nest.... he had walked straight through it after billy had disturbed them
alfie walked forward towards us and then laid down and started rolling over.... clearly being stung and scared he started turning round snapping at them even though he had them on his ears, face, neck and back.... i then thought i had to get him in the river and din't even think how badly it could've turned out had they then swarmed me too..... i grabbed his collar and dragged him to the river (god knows how, he was pulling against me clearly in pain and scared) and i threw him down into the river, thankfully i managed to see him swimming, i was worried he'd be in shock and just drown ....... he couldn't then get out of the river (i hadn't thought about getting him out) and we hadn't yet reached the bit with easy access for swimming so i had to hawl him out again by the collar his tail was under and he was shaking but i could see several wasps burrowing into his coat so i grabbed a stick and flicked them off him (not sure if thats the right thing to do) and we quickly headed home..... home was 5 mins up the road so quicker than the vets and i gave alfie and billy a piriton and my mum combed them while i phoned the vets.... they were great and told me what to look out for and if at all worried to take him straight there for a steroid injection but apparently i did all the right things (phew)
I honestly thought i was going to lose alfie today, seeing him covered in wasps and i mean covered and then see him start to snap at them... i just thought it was all over but thankfully his coat being so thick stopped too many stinging (i think) but had it been billy i've no doubt it would've killed him, he has very short fine coat compared to alfie and if they swarmed me i'm not sure i'd survive either as my adrenal glands don't cope with stressful situations like that would've been so all in all it was a terrifying day and i feel very lucky to have both my boys still here
it could've been soooooo much worse!!!
I really needed to get that all out because i keep re-living it so thank u if you've got this far
to top it off i was checking billy over as he kept yelping when i touch his stomach so i had him rolled over on the floor when alfie came over to me and billy went for alfie
they're not good with some other dogs but usually love each other so i'm hoping i can put that down to being scared/in pain coz now alfie is scared of every little buzzing noise and scared to go near billy
i can't wait for today to be over
I have learnt a very big lesson and as a warning to you all who walk in places where bees/wasps can be..... i've no idea what i would've done had there been no river nearby? its really scared me to walk them in places like that now
the wasps were in a log of wood by the river
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