An adorable puppy named after music icon David Bowie collapsed on the spot when he was stung on the mouth by a wasp.
Bowie the Miniature Dachshund was playing in his owner Emily Lomas’ back garden when he suddenly ran into the kitchen and let out a yelp.
Then in an instant six-month-old Bowie crumpled into a heap in his bed gasping for air – with the wasp on the floor next to him.
Bowie’s eyes were flickering open and shut as though he was losing consciousness, with a visible swelling on the side of his mouth getting bigger by the second.
And adding to Emily’s distress it was a Sunday night, and her local vet was closed for the weekend.
Emergency dash to the vet as Bowie fights to breathe
So, Emily, from Stourbridge, Worcestershire, phoned Blaise Referrals in Birmingham, part of our Vets Now network of UK-wide emergency pet clinics and hospitals.
And just two minutes later tearful Emily was cradling fading Bowie in her arms in the front passenger seat as her partner James drove them to get help.
Bowie was admitted straight away as a highest priority emergency.
Lead vet Thomas Cammack did a full physical examination before performing ultrasound scan to check for any internal swelling, how well his heart was filling and whether there was any bleeding into his abdomen – all of which are indicators of potential serious consequences from a sting.
And he checked too for signs of the severe anaphylaxis which can be fatal for dogs – particularly small breeds like Bowie.
Luckily, and because Emily had acted so swiftly in seeking help, the sting hadn’t had any internal impact and after a round of antihistamine medication Bowie perked up and was fit enough to go home.
But the effects could have been much more serious, and Emily is now warning other pet owners to take no chances if their dog gets stung – particularly with sting cases seen by us nearly doubling over the last two years.
Emily said: “I just can’t over-emphasise how upsetting and distressing it was to see Bowie struck down like this and how important it was that we got help straight away.
“People think ‘oh, a wasp sting … that happens all the time and there’s nothing serious’. But in Bowie’s case it was like he’d been instantly floored.
“We’d only had him eight weeks when this happened, and I was just in floods of tears.
“With a human when there’s something wrong you can usually talk to them and offer them reassurance – but with a dog you can’t do that and that makes it so much worse to see them suffering.
“James and I are both incredibly grateful to Thomas and the team – they rushed into action to make sure Bowie was okay and they were there in our hour of need.
“Because it’s Spring and dogs are outside more now, we really wanted to remind other owners about how important it is to get help if your dog is stung.
“And to prove the point about these stings being on the increase, all this actually happened on the first day of December last year – in the middle of winter when you might think there was no danger at all.”
Thomas said: “Bowie is a lovely little guy; we were very pleased to be able to help and it was essential that Emily brought him in as rapidly as she did.
“Every second can count in these cases – and we’re definitely seeing more bad reactions to wasp and bee stings than we used to.
“I’ve had quite a few cases where the allergic reaction has been so severe that we’ve had to administer intravenous adrenaline just to counter the effects of the sting.
“One of the issues here is that the impact of a sting can range from a very mild allergic reaction to extremely serious – and in some cases unfortunately – fatal anaphylaxis.
“That’s why we carried out the ultrasound scan on Bowie – to see if there was any indication of gallbladder or heart issues or any bleeding to the abdomen – all of which are potential indicators of something being seriously wrong.
“So, Emily is absolutely right to raise awareness – and, please, if your dog is stung or you think they might have been, and has any kind of reaction, seek help without delay.
“And bear in mind as well that in addition to the typical external signs of an allergic response such as hives and swollen faces, there can also be hidden internal issues playing out at the same time.”
Bowie’s recovery - and his return to local fame
Emily said: “James is a big music fan, and it was his idea to give Bowie his name – and in some ways it’s very appropriate because he is a bit of a celebrity around here, partly because he just looks so cute with his long hair.
“Everywhere we go, people stop us to chat to Bowie and want to know all about him.
“Word got round quite quickly about his sting drama and once he was back on his feet after a couple of days and out for his walks again, he was getting even more attention – which of course he was just soaking up.
“He’s such a loving dog and a great companion – I just can’t imagine life without him.
“But for the sake of my frayed nerves, I would quite like it if he could stay out of mischief for a bit and save us any more frantic Sunday night dashes to the vet!”