5 Comments on How do I treat my dog for mosquito bites?

BVC_asst on Mon, 24th Nov 2008 6:00 pm


call your vet for information on how to treat for mosquito bites on your dog.

Be sure your dog is on heartworm preventative! Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitos.
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sillybuttmunky on Mon, 24th Nov 2008 6:46 pm


Its not safe to use insect repellant on your dog. My first statement would be.. I hope you use heartworm protection. Thats how heart worms are transmitted – by mosquitos.

Second..try these techniques:

Flea Treatment of Yards:
Flea eggs fall off in areas of the yard where pets spend time. Fleas can reproduce in areas that are warm and moist throughout the day, so if you are treating your yard for fleas, focus on those areas that stay moist and warm and around the doors of the house.

* Remove dead plants and excess brush from your yard, since they harbor critters and parasites.
* There are chemical-based yard sprays made specifically for yard treatment, as well as companies that apply such products. Commercial treatments include Archer and FleaFix. You can obtain more information by doing a web search.

* If you plan to use a commercial product, first read the label to make sure it?s safe for use around pets.
Do-it-yourself approaches that can help you save money and avoid chemicals:
* Spread beneficial nematodes in affected areas of the yard to naturally control fleas. These worms help eliminate fleas by feeding on flea larva. They are nontoxic, harmless to humans and pets, and even help control other nuisance insects. You can get them through some veterinarians and from several internet-based companies.

* Other alternative bug repellents can be found on the internet. They include BugBand products that use all-natural Geraniol instead of DEET to repel mosquitoes, fire ants, flies, gnats, ticks and lice. For details, visit http://www.bugband.net. You can find details about NaturVet herbal flea repellent at http://www.naturvet.com .

* Ivory Liquid Soap approach: Rather than poisoning fleas, Ivory reportedly suffocates fleas, gnats and other bugs. To spray Ivory in your yard, use a garden sprayer attachment such as the one made by Ortho Sprayer. Fill it with Ivory and set the dilution dial to 2 tablespoons. Saturate the area, then let it dry before allowing your dog or anyone else walk on the treated ground. Using this method, people treat their yards every 4 to 6 weeks.

* Homemade solution to repel insects from from Hints from Heloise: Make a solution of 1/2-cup of liquid dishwashing soap, 2 tablespoons of ammonia, and 5 to 7 cups of water. Use a bottle spray attachment to apply the solution.

* Outdoor/indoor bugzapper alternative: Pour some water in a white dinner plate and add a few drops of Lemon Fresh Joy dish detergent. Set the dish on your porch, patio or other area. Mosquitoes reportedly flock to the dish and then die at or within a few feet of the dish, soon after drinking the mixture. Joy was the specified detergent, but other brands can work.

* A fairly safe way to keep mosquitoes away is to spray your yard once a week with Simple Green, which is available at home and garden stores

Dietary additions for boosting immunity and repelling bugs:
** A half teaspoon of nutritional brewer?s yeast daily can provide the B complex vitamins a dog needs. Dr. Michael Fox has recommended brewer's yeast or nutritional yeast (but not baker's yeast), giving 1 teaspoon per 30 pounds of body weight mixed with the animal's food.

** B complex vitamins ? 50 mg once a day for cats and smaller dogs, and twice daily for larger dogs.
** Use Omega 3 and 6 fatty acid supplements.
** Add a tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar to the dog?s water bowl.
** Add .a teaspoon each of safflower oil and powdered kelp or seaweed to the food bowl.
** Fresh garlic in small quantities can help repel fleas by making the animal taste unpleasant to fleas. Grate a small amount of fresh, raw garlic into your pet?s food at mealtime, about one-half to 3 chambers of the clove (chamber, not a whole clove) depending on the animal?s size. One vet recommends one crushed clove of garlic (not a whole bulb; a clove is just one chamber) per every 30 pounds. Some holistic health practitioners recommend heating the garlic for easier digestion, and to not to give them garlic every day.

Good Luck
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rollin_indahay on Mon, 24th Nov 2008 7:17 pm


Advantix and similar products repel mosquitos, and is a simple once-a-month treatment.

Mosquitos carry things like heartworm and West Nile, so your dog NEEDS to be protected from both the mosquitoes AND the diseases they transmit. The itching from the bites is the least of your dog's worries.

Bathing him every night will only dry out his skin terribly and make him itch MORE.
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KitKat on Mon, 24th Nov 2008 8:00 pm


Bathing that often is terrible for his skin. You should not bathe him more then once a month. I would see a vet to be sure they are mosquito bites first and go from there.
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star_gazer_9999 on Mon, 24th Nov 2008 8:38 pm


First of all, be sure that it is mosquito bites by seeing your vet. It could very well be fleas or fly bites. Attacks by stable flies and black flies are typically incriminated in skin wounds located on the ear tips or faces of outdoor dogs from late spring until first frost. Horsefly, deer fly and mosquito bites tend to be less irritating. The flies actually bite and open the skin creating multiple small ulcers oozing serum and blood or produce small red bumps (papules) covered with hemorrhagic (bloody) crusts. Scratching or rubbing the ear flaps (pinnae) can be quite intense in those dogs with allergies to fly bites.

You can rub a thin layer of Vaseline on their skin to prevent bites, but it is difficult to do. I hope your dog is immunized, and has treatment annually for heartworm which is caused by mosquitos!
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