Short answer: Most dogs recover from a bark scorpion sting with rest. Watch your pet closely for the first four hours. Take them to a vet for tremors, restlessness or breathing changes. Small dogs and cats are more likely to have serious signs.
Signs of a sting
- Yelping or jumping back suddenly
- Limping, or pawing, licking or rubbing one spot
- Head shaking
Signs that need a vet
- Tremors or twitching
- Restlessness or agitation
- Changes in breathing
- In cats, roving or jerky eye movements
What a local study found
A study of stung pets reported by the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center found that serious signs showed up in 39% of small dogs and 13% of larger dogs. Larger dogs got better faster. Effects in dogs lasted about eight hours on average. The study included only seven cats, but most of them showed serious signs.
What to do
- Keep your pet calm and give them a quiet place to rest
- Watch closely for the first four hours
- Call your vet, or go to an emergency vet, if serious signs appear
- For poison advice, call 1-800-222-1222 any time
Keeping pets safer
Cats often play with scorpions, which raises their risk. Check pet beds and food bowls at night with a blacklight, keep pet food indoors, and seal the gaps scorpions use to get inside.
Common questions
Can a scorpion sting kill a dog?
Most dogs recover with rest. Small dogs are more likely to have serious signs, so watch closely and call a vet if they appear.
Do cats protect against scorpions?
Cats do hunt scorpions, but they get stung too, and in a small Arizona study most stung cats showed serious signs.