|
 - Beware of the summer sting - Ichneumon wasps AKA Pimpla instigators/black slips and other insects.
-
It was the summer of 2010 and I was enjoying one of the very few hot summer days in my back garden in Birmingham that year. As a writer for My Pet Friends my time was spent writing articles and replying to users whilst playing with my two young boys and our black Shih’tzu puppy Cilla. I was distracted when an insect with a long orange/red legged body zoomed past my face. I thought nothing of it at the time, a harmless insect just enjoying the sun as we were. But as we returned indoors I noticed the very insect I saw earlier, trapped in the conservatory. It had flown in and was trying to escape; its 1cm sting in its tail did nothing to help make it look any less threatening.
-
As I frantically tried to usher it back into the garden its tail rose and that’s when I knew it was not to be messed with. But I eventually managed to escort it out and back into its natural habitat.
-
I began seeing more of these insects so my curiosity moved me to find out exactly what they were. It didn’t take me long to find out that these were Ichneumon wasps which originally came from Denmark and North Africa and are now common place in the UK. Although harmless, they can sting and if you get stung, you might experience some swelling, itchiness and a little soreness.
-
This got me thinking - we as humans can protect ourselves but how can we protect our cats, dogs and other pets from insect stings?
-
As cat and dog lovers will know our pets love going out and about to explore, either in gardens, or elsewhere when they go for walks. In the summer months dog owners are more likely to walk them off the lead, and cats will go wandering about in the tall grass looking for fun and mischief. But wasps, bumble bees and other insects are also out and about, lurking in the tall grass, resting in bushes and buzzing around anything that looks interesting. It’s when the two meet, that pets can get stung.
-
Your pet won't be able to tell you if he or she has been stung or has swallowed a wasp. Your pet may show signs of an allergic reaction, in this case your natural instincts and common sense would move you to take your pet to the vets straight away. This would be wise in most mild and serious cases. You cannot use normal insect repellents made for human use, but there are off the shelf shampoos and sprays that may deter insects coming close to your pet.
-
As all dog and cat owners are now aware, the biggest problems for cats and dogs is fleas and ticks - you can help prevent flea and ticks by regularly giving your pet a treatment, most commonly on the back of their neck. The other more common infestation for dogs is ear mites – these are mites that live in tall grass, and they love to get into dogs ear passages – a warm place for them to breed. You can often tell is a dog has ear mites from the constant scratching they do. Luckily a vet can prescribe an ointment which usually sees this off in a few days.
-
For further information and products, you can ask your local pet shop and/or your vet.
-
Denise Khutan - writer for My Pet Friends
-
|
Pet News 
