Flowering Jacaranda Tree Frames the Famed Chateau Marmont Hotel
This article originally appeared on Dr Mahaney’s The Daily Vet column on petMD.
Every spring, the purple flowers blooming on West Hollywood’s plethora of Jacaranda trees make for an astounding sight. Their intense hue brightens the "May gray" and "June gloom" overcast weather that often plagues our otherwise sunny skies. Unfortunately, the Jacaranda blooming season correlates with a notable increase in the number of bee stings in pets, and a coincidental increase in hypersensitivity reactions.
Fallen Jacaranda flowers cover the grass, sidewalks, and streets, thereby attracting bees and other insects. So while inspecting their preferred substrate for a place to urinate or defecate, curious canines and felines may unknowingly encounter a venomous insect buzzing around a fallen blossom.
In my clinical practice, I see pets (mostly dogs) with bee stingers imbedded in various body parts, including their paws, legs, face, and tongue. The bee’s venom causes a hypersensitivity reaction, which can be from mild to severe; severe reactions can be life threatening. As an owner cannot determine the degree to which their pet will react, urgent veterinary care is highly merited. Suspected or confirmed insect envenomations must be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine the most appropriate treatment.
Clinical signs of hypersensitivity reactions are usually sudden onset and include (but are not exclusive to):
- Hives (medical term = urticaria)
- Swelling (angioedema)
- Redness (erythema)
- Pain to the touch
- Vocalizing
- Lameness/limping
- Licking at or pawing the affected site
- Disorientation
- Stumbling (ataxia)
- Vomiting (emesis)
- Diarrhea
- Pale pink or white gums
- Low body temperature (hypothermia)
- Low blood pressure (hypotension)