Bzzzz

Gus without a swollen nose

Today when I went to the dog park I got more than just exercise.
I was hit with an adrenaline rush from which I'm only now - two hours later - crashing.
At first everything seemed just fine.
Bertie was running, barking, sniffing.
Gus was socializing, more with the people than the other dogs.
But when I rounded the next corner I noticed Gus across the park, heaving.
I came up to him to find him vomiting. It was full of grass, so I thought it was no big deal.
I cleaned it up as best I could and went on my way.
But then I noticed him rubbing and rubbing his snout on the ground.
I came back to him and took a closer look; was his nose a little swollen?
Nah, he's just enjoying a really interesting scent.
I went a little further, keeping an eye on him, and he didn't stop rubbing and rubbing his nose on the ground.
Concerned, I quickly walked over to him and saw that his whole muzzle was indeed swollen.
I gathered both dogs and we quickly got to the car.
By this time I knew what had happened.
Gussie had been stung by something - bee, wasp, yellow jacket?
Who knows.
I rushed him to the vet, about 10 minutes away.
All the while my poor baby was whimpering, his nose was swelling, and he couldn't stop pawing and rubbing his snout.
By the time we got to the vet, his blood pressure was a little high, his gums were scarlet, and he was so swollen he looked more like a Shar pei than a basset hound.
The vet gave him an injection of diphenhydramine (benadryl) and a steroid to guard against breathing issues.
Gus was stung in August of last year, only by the time we realized something was wrong my husband had to carry him to the car. I was grateful that he could walk this time, though I'm sure one of the men at the dog park would have carried him for me.
The vet sent us home with a few more doses of benadryl and some extra to keep on hand in case this happens again; he didn't seem to think an epi pen was necessary.
In fact, I think he stifled a laugh when I asked.
Poor Gus.
He's really tired now, of course, and maybe, just maybe, the swelling has gone down a tiny bit. It makes me nervous to think of taking him back to the dog park in a couple of days, but the vet said he could just as easily get stung in the back yard.
And despite my son's suggestion, I'm not going to take a photo of his swollen snout.
Whew.
Never a dull moment.