So glad your fur baby is OK. He looked pretty sad in those pictures. You made a very important point in your posting about getting first aid training. You both did such an impressive job handling the emergency and I'm glad for you it ended well. Question, are you able to do allergy testing on Banjo to distinguish what he was allergy to? I have no experience with animal reactions to bee, spider or bug stings which may or may not have been the cause, but I'm sure it would be beneficial to know so you could pack the appropriate med.
Also, I really enjoy your photos - I have to upgrade my camera and take some lessons 😜 And I'm glad you made the most of the great weather and still enjoyed your weekend

Kelly

I was the guy fishing at the downstream end of the Head-Harness portage who checked my pack for antihistamines but didn't find any. Sorry to hear you didn't make it back into the interior, but glad to hear Banjo is okay. Though you were obviously a ways ahead of us (we were on our way in when you were coming out), the moose was still at the turnoff when we drove in... and if it helps, that was the only one we saw this weekend, so your misadventure did increase your moose count. The campsite on the awesome-looking rock point got snapped up between the time you left and the time we arrived, unfortunately for us since we wanted overland access to the backpacking trail.

I think you're being hard on yourself in the blog though... after all, the fact that you live an hour from the west gate WAS part of the reason everything turned out okay. Granted things could have gone worse, and some additional preparations might have saved the trip, but it's impossible to know all of everyone's allergies beforehand. I didn't know I was allergic to hornets until I got stung at the age of 18 and went into anaphylactic shock, and that was in something of a wilderness setting but thankfully just a short walk from a vehicle. Yet how many people carry epi-pens on weekend canoe trips just in case they have an unknown allergy? I don't even carry one, now that I've been immunized (and stung a few more times to prove it). Maybe a good idea though?

kellycamps wrote:

Question, are you able to do allergy testing on Banjo to distinguish what he was allergy to? 

Thanks for reading, Kelly and for the comments on photos and such.

Not sure about allergy testing, but I do want to take her into Bracebridge Animal Hospital to talk about that and having her with us in the backcountry. This year we have over 35 nights planned outside. I want to make sure I have all bases covered.

onthemoon wrote:

Hey Waboose, I'd bet the farm that's the result of some upset ground wasps. My dog went through the same thing, maybe worse. 

onthemoon, we're thinking the same thing. There was so much insect activity and she loves sticks, could have rocked a nest. She was tearing around the site (like she normally does when we first arrive) having fun and during the time I was away setting the tent up it happened.

Also, we took the moving water course through PaddleFoot and I did see on their website that they offer first aid training as well. We're planning on a Quetico trip next summer so will definitely want to be prepared in terms of Wilderness First Aid.

Thanks for reading!

My golden nosed around in an area of the bush we have, and within the hour he had the exact same type of swelling of his face as yours, Benadryl worked good. A few weeks later I walked back to the spot and found it growing a patch of poison ivy. Did banjo maybe dig his face into soil on the portages trying to sniff something out? Maybe got in contact with poison ivy roots?
Maybe that's a possibility too other then stings.