A couple feared for the life of their beloved pet after their dog was attacked by a swarm of angry wasps and stung – 130 times.
Susan Bruce, 35, and husband Robin were walking through a forest with their cocker spaniel Betty when they were bombarded by a huge swarm of wasps.
Seven-year-old Betty bore the brunt of the assault, which left her close to death in anaphylactic shock after suffering more than 130 stings.
Susan, a vet from Dundee, Scotland, said: “It was terrifying, they really went for Betty. There were so many that she was completely covered.
“We tried to outrun them, but they got hold of Betty. There were so many wasps in her coat.
“We tried to fight them off but they stung us too. It was particularly bad for Betty and she collapsed at the side of the path.”
Quick-thinking Susan wrapped Betty in a jacket and carried her two miles back to the car park near Tentsmuir Forest in Fife, Scotland, where they were met by an emergency vet, who pumped her full of steroids in a successful bid to beat the wasp stings.
Vet William Goad of the St Andrews practice said: “When the call came in we went straight away. The spaniel had suffered a serious attack from wasps.
“There were 30 of them deep in her coat which we removed and her owners had removed about 100 superficial ones.
“We treated her with steroids and intravenous fluids and overnight she did pick up, but she will be poorly for a few days.”
Susan added: “Obviously it was very frightening and we were very worried about Betty.
“She is not back to her old self yet. Betty is tired and still store, but much brighter than she was.
“These things are freak accidents and, I guess, you need to deal with them as good as you can.”
