Killer Bees

Macy and Jodi got into a nest of ground hornets Saturday afternoon while mowing the lawn. It's impossible to know how many times Macy got stung, but my guess is well over 50. Jodi, seeing Macy staggering around literally covered with hornets, ran to the lake calling Macy's name to get her to follow, and the two of them jumped into the lake to ease the attack. I think Jodi got stung 6-7 times on the way to the lake, and she was running full bore. Prior to that, Macy was just standing there frozen...getting stung all the while. Back in the house, Macy staggered around and then collapsed. A frantic call to the Vet prescribed close monitoring and liberal doses of Benedryl. If there was any sign of breathing duress, she was to be taken in immediately. We also administered some of Dayton's old Prednisone which we kept on hand for her severe bee sting allergy.

Then the swelling started.

Oh my God! I did not think she could swell that big and not split her skin. Her face was HUGE! Her eyes and nose swelled shut, and her lips looked like thick cut porterhouse steaks hanging from her swollen face. It was awful...really awful. By 6PM, the swelling had subsided from grotesque to merely amusing, but her body stings were still a source of pain. The Benedryl kept her comfortable, and she slept like Rip Van Winkle, but she in no way wanted to be touched.

Sunday I was charged with finding the source of the nest, which I did. While I was stung in my offensive against it, it was nothing compared to what the poor little whelp had gone through. Those stings I got HURT...and Macy got at least 50 times what I did. She must have been in agony. She's making a full recovery though. How do I know? Well, on Sunday she bit me repeatedly, dry humped me while watching TV on two separate occasions, mauled the cat, ate my toothbrush, and pissed in the house.

That's the Macy I know. We're glad to have her back.