Tis the Season For Bug Bites!

Does anyone have any suggestions or remedies for bug bites on short haired dogs??

Copper loves to be outside in the late afternoon /early evening when we get home from work when it is nice outside, but he gets bitten by bugs(blackflies i think) really bad - especially on his bare belly and around his privates. He swells up from the bites and it looks absolutely sore! :sad: Zoe just gets bright red skin around her bites and she doesn't get near as many as what Copper gets and she doesn't swell up.

If he's going to lay in the grass, I make sure he's on his blanket so he doesn't get bit as much. Last night we went for a walk and we were going to go in the bush, but as soon as we went in we were swarmed with mosquitios! So instead we just walked along the edge of the field because there weren't as many bugs.

I give him benedryl(prescribed from vet) when he's been bitten and I put polysporin on his bites when he's asleep. We have also used a spray(all natural, made for horses but can be used on dogs) to try and repel the bugs, but with him playing in his pool alot, it just washes off.

Is there anything I can put in his food as a natural repellant?? People say garlic for fleas - anything for all the other bugs out there?? If anyone has any suggestions on treatments or trying to manage this please post them!! I don't want to have to take away his pool!!! (his pool gets fresh water daily)

Thanks all, I was going to post a pic of what his belly looks like, but Peter would be in it too! :o

I use bug spray that is made for kids. I spray a bit on my hands and pat over the fur (I don't really rub it in, just put it on the surface) and I don't put it anywhere where they can lick it off... Not too helpful, but it's something... :o

What about Avon's Skin So Soft? A lot of people use it as a repellant and it's just bath oil...

What about Avon's Skin So Soft? A lot of people use it as a repellant and it's just bath oil...

Thanks Prin! I forgot about Skin So Soft!! I have used kid's bug spray as well. It's hard though because if you go in the house for a second, he starts to whine and wants to come in. Here's what life is like at my house -- in, out, in, out, in, out, in, out, in, out, in, out, in, out, in see what I mean? So you put alot of effort into putting bug spray on, for him to come in the house! :crazy:

I'll definitely try the skin-so-soft again!

Our local health food store sells a citronella oil spray that the vet told us would be safe for dogs. It's basically the same stuff as in citronella collars.

I know having a high amount of zinc and garlic in your bloodstream repels it as well. When I lived in the caribbean one year, I took zinc and garlic pills daily. I didn't want to risk getting malaria or any other moquitoe borne disease. I never got one bite even!

My vet recommended de-bittered brewers yeast, you can get it from health food stores. Just sprinkle it on the food and it keeps mesqitos away, or try putting a couple of drops of apple cider vinegar in the water, a friend of mine has horses and she said that it works for them. as for the black flies I'm still looking for a reliable repellant!

Thanks for the ideas Dog Mom!! I'll give them a try for sure!! It's odd how Copper gets bitten so much, and Zoe(pup) hardly gets bit at all! :confused:

I bought some citronella wrist bands the other day that I 'm gonna try out. I'll put them on the dog's collars. They are really strong smelling - even in the package!

Copper's Mom I think that it must be the name Zoe, that's my husky's name and she is the only one who isn't really bothered my the bugs! lol

:grouphug: We had the same problem with our Beagel (cupcake). Skin-so-soft by Avon works wonders and it is only an oil. The only down side is that they get dirty really fast from the oil. Good Luck