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How to Help Your Pet: Bee Stings 101 Dogs can be trained to fetch slippers and race through tunnels in agility classes, but it's next to impossible to teach them to stay clear of bees, wasps, hornets, and other insects. That's because dogs and cats investigate the world using their noses and paws, the two prime targets of insect stings. In most cases, there will be mild swelling and tenderness where the dog or cat was stung. If it is swollen and a little puffy, it is a localized reaction to the sting. To stop the venom from spreading, try to remove the stinger as soon as possible. The stinger can pulsate venom into a dog or cat for two to three minutes after being separated from the bee. Use a credit card to scrape the stinger out. Do not try to squeeze the stinger out with your fingers or use tweezers because the venom sac may rupture, further exposing the pet to more venom. Monitor your pet to make sure that the swelling does not increase or spread. You should contact your veterinarian, who will most likely advise you to give your pet Benadryl, an over-the-counter antihistamine. Your vet needs to instruct you on the correct dosage, based on your pet's weight. You also need to make sure that the product contains only diphenhydramine. To reduce swelling, apply a cold compress. You can run a washcloth under some cool tap water and then wrap it around or press it onto the site of the sting. Your pet may need emergency care. Some pets may be allergic to bee stings, and they can go into anaphylactic shock (and even die), if they don't receive immediate veterinary attention. If your dog gets stung by a bee and starts vomiting within 5 to 10 minutes and its gums become pale, that's when you know they are going into anaphylactic shock. Your vet may treat your dog with IV fluids to prevent shock, give steroids, or start Benadryl injections into the bloodstream immediately. They may need to stay at the veterinary clinic for 48 hours, or more, before it is determined they are healthy enough to go home. Fruit, vegetable, and flower gardens need the pollinating power of bees, but there are steps you can take so that your pet will not have a painful encounter with one of these creatures. First, you can cordon off plants with border fencing that will keep pets at a distance. You might want to plant jasmine and zinnias, which attract butterflies more than bees, or consider crimson-hued roses, or other red flowers. Bees seem to not be as drawn to the color red. When walking your dogs on a leash, try to keep them off ground cover with flowers. Chances are bees will be busy pollinating. With a little extra care, you may be able to lessen the chance of your pet being stung by bees, wasps, hornets, and other insects. ~ Vivian Walker, vivr@sbcglobal.net 34 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JUNE 2020 Tails & Trails - All Pets Pedestrians And Traffic In Four Seasons About three years ago, the Four Seasons Board of Directors sent out a survey to discover what the most important activities were to Four Seasons residents. Walking was the number one activity by far, whether walking on the trails or on the sidewalks. Also around this time, the Board of Directors conducted a traffic study on Four Seasons Circle. Although the speed limit on Four Seasons Circle is posted at 30 mph, the study showed that the average speed was more than 40 mph with one speed being registered at close to 60 mph. The results of this traffic study were turned over to the Safety Committee for their recommendations to control speeding on FS Circle. The Safety Committee recommended stop signs and pedestrian crosswalks at the locations that exist today. The number of homes and residents has grown considerably in the last three years and walking the trails and sidewalks is even more popular today. Although traffic safety on FS Circle has improved since the stop signs were installed, it appears that speeding is still a problem, particularly in the southern section of Four Seasons in the vicinity of the Summit, the Courts, Breckenridge Gate and Crooked Creek Gate that have been built out in the last three years. Now that Four Seasons has been built out and the developer has left the community, I have been told that the Board of Directors will be conducting another traffic study to determine the extent of safety on FS Circle and any mitigation measures that may be required. Commissioning this traffic study will take some time as a new Board is elected and then it will take additional time to review the report, to gain feedback and recommendations from appropriate advisory committees, and to determine appropriate mitigation measures if required. The Dog Owners Group encourages pedestrians and dog walkers not to walk in the street on a regular basis. It may be necessary on an intermittent basis to avoid slippery sidewalks or conflict between animals but it should not be done as a common practice. PACK WALKS – all pack walks have been canceled until further notice as a result of guidelines imposed by Riverside County due to the COVID-19 virus. ~ Patrick and his dog, Ricky Ricardo: dog_ owners@yahoo.com Dog Owners Group Just in case: Check with your club contact to confirm meeting place, date, and time.

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