Travis had a bee in his bonnet today – well in his mouth and fortunately for both, briefly.

It was a lovely morning, blue skies and sun after a day of grey skies and rain and we had had a very pleasant walk. On the way out of the park Travis stopped to nose amongst the nascent cow parsley and then suddenly shook his head. Luckily, out popped the bee. I can only assume that it was the cool temperature and the fact that neither bee nor puppy had any warning that the other was near that prevented him from being stung.

Having a bee in your bonnet may make you angry; having a bee in the mouth can be serious for humans and dogs, because it is close to the throat and brain. Dogs are more likely to get stung in the face. Snapping on a bee may just result in swelling and pain, but it could also trigger an allergic reaction requiring urgent veterinary treatment. The swelling could extend to the throat and that, plus the allergic reaction could cause difficulty in breathing. Allergic dogs may vomit, drool or collapse and may have diarrhoea.

My brother had a German Shepherd that used to sit between my parents’ patio window and the net curtain and eat any insect that got trapped there – wasps and bees included. He never got stung but why my parents didn’t dissuade him from doing it, I’ll never know.

Spring is full of potential hazards from spring flowers to adders. The latter may not hibernate in mild winters and so may be hidden in bracken and under logs earlier in the year than expected.

Next week: Medication Matters

Celebrate spring with the new Puppy Social Walk in Chiswick House grounds for help with walking well on the lead and negotiating hazards safely.