A puppy almost died after he ate a WASP and it stung the inside of his mouth three times.
The one-year-old – called Zebra – was digging in the garden and trod on it.
The micro bully was stung on the paw so tried to attack the striped, flying insect.
But he then collapsed as the wasp fought back.
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Owner Darren Villers got a panicked phone call from his mother-in-law who was looking after Zebra.
“She was screaming that he was dead,” he said.
“He was digging in the grass and trod on what we think was a wasp.
“It stung his paw and then when he bit it, it stung him three times in the mouth.”
Waste management company worker Darren, 47, added: “He had a bad reaction to that.
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“And he collapsed and was lying limp with his tongue hanging out.
“Our next-door neighbour got him to the vets as quickly as he could.
“But as I was rushing there from my work, I thought he could be dead.”
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Zebra – was treated at The Veterinary Clinic near his home in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands.
Vet Jenny Mitchell gave him an urgent injection to save him.
She said: “Because his owners rushed him straight down to us after the collapse, we were able to act in time.
“We gave him a steroid injection, monitored him and administered some antihistamine after which he was able to return home.
“We are all very fond of Zebra after him spending an extended time with us as tiny puppy.”
It is Zebra’s second brush with death in a year.
He was previously saved by emergency abdominal surgery at the same vets when he was just three months old.
“Despite his two near misses, he’s always welcome to come and see us.
“Should your pet receive a sting of any kind, especially around the mouth or face, call your closest vets for advice and don’t give them any antihistamines without veterinary advice.”
Other than the marks from the stings, Zebra was fine when Darren took him home and hasn’t shown any lasting effects.
“It was such a scary time, and we can’t thank The Veterinary Clinic enough,” added Darren.
“After what they did when he was a pup, I just kept thinking that we couldn’t lose him now.
“He hasn’t learned his lesson and we’ve seen him still chasing bees and wasps.
We’re trying to be really careful, and we’d definitely urge other owners to watch out in the next few weeks and get their pet to the vet if needed.”
The vets said many wasps and bees may be found by dogs on the ground as they die off in the next few weeks.
They urged owners to be vigilant.
Swelling resulting from bee and wasp stings in the mouth can block the airway and owners should seek urgent veterinary advice if that happens.
The venom can also cause an allergic reaction that triggers anaphylactic shock and requires immediate action, as reported on What’s The Jam.
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