Scottish animal hospital first in UK to offer dogs new sting immunotherapy

A Scottish animal hospital has become the first in the UK to use an innovative treatment for dogs suffering serious allergic reactions to bee and wasp stings.

The University of Glasgow’s Small Animal Hospital has used a treatment called Hymenoptera Venom Immunotherapy (Vit), which trains the immune system to tolerate future exposure to stings.

The Small Animal Hospital is one of just a few specialist centres around the world able to deliver this type of disease-modifying treatment.

The therapy has now been successfully used on a number of patients, with clinicians saying it offers a “hopeful approach” to preventing recurrent anaphylaxis in dogs.

Insect venom allergy is one of the most serious acute allergic conditions in canines.

Reactions can develop within minutes of a sting and can, in a very small number of cases, progress from hives and vomiting to collapse, respiratory distress, and in severe cases, death.

Almost two-thirds of dogs which experience one severe reaction to a bee or wasp sting go on to experience the same or worse symptoms after subsequent stings.

Professor Ana Rostaher, who leads the treatment at the hospital, said: “Venom immunotherapy represents a major advance in how we can manage severe insect sting allergies in dogs.

“For affected animals, a single sting can make them very ill and even die.

“However, this treatment offers a proactive way to change that risk profile and provides owners with an option for further peace of mind for those animals who are severely allergic to insect stings.”

The treatment, which was first developed for use in humans, works by gradually introducing controlled, increasing doses of bee or wasp venom to the affected dog, which trains the immune system to tolerate future stings.

Clinicians said doing so can “significantly reduce” the likelihood of a recurrent severe allergic reaction.

The treatment involves an initial diagnostic phase with allergy testing, followed by a closely monitored induction period and long-term maintenance therapy that may continue for several years.

Amber, a Vizsla breed dog, became the first subject in the UK to undergo the therapy at the hospital after she suffered a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting in 2021.

Her owners, Claire and Matthew Preece, from Stratford-upon-Avon, said Amber became “unwell very quickly” following the sting, with sudden behavioural changes followed by the rapid development of hives and vomiting.

After hearing about the groundbreaking new therapy, the couple opted to have Amber treated at the Small Animal Hospital in Glasgow.

Ms Preece said: “Amber became unwell very quickly at home — we didn’t even realise at the time that she had been stung by a bee that had flown in through an open window.

“Her behaviour changed first, then things escalated rapidly. It became clear within minutes that this was extremely serious.

“We chose immunotherapy to reduce the risk of another reaction and to regain a sense of control.

“The anxiety never fully went away — we simply wanted to do everything possible to protect Amber.”

Prof Rostaher said: “Amber’s story underlines why this treatment matters as, for some dogs, these reactions are sudden, severe, and deeply distressing for families.

“Venom immunotherapy offers a way not just to treat the condition, but to prevent the next emergency before it happens.”