Do dogs get mosquito bites?

Last night while petting Diego I discovered some red spots on his shoulder and belly. He's a mix of golden/lab retriver. I'm not sure if this is normal for a retriever as they have 2 coats. It seems to bother him a lot he's scratching a lot more lately.

I've heard that giving him children's benedryl would help, but what dosage? Is there any holistic methods to keep the bugs away?

Diego's on Revolution, so I do tend to think that the red spots are in fact mosquito bites, but can they be anything else?

could be spider bites, I would try after bite if you have it.

Spider bites? :eek:

Is After Bite safe to use on pets?

Dogs definitely get mosquito bites. That's a big part of the reason why its so important to ensure you get your dog's heartworm meds every year around the beginning of June. If you didn't get his heartworm done yet, please go do it today.

Left to scratch the bites they can get infected. It's always best to call your vet and ask before you give your dog any medication. All medications for dogs are based on their weight and age.

:) Jen

Dogs get bit by many little critters, mosquitos and blackflies included. I too would talk to my vet first before applying any medication.

Thanks Jen! Diego's on Revolution, which should prevent heartworms. We are going to the vet next week, just thought I'd ask the members here first, someone might have previous experience with this problem.

I'm also hoping for some holistic treatments/preventions, not a big fan of any medication.

Can you email me privately? I sell an aromatherapy all natural Bug Spray that all my Golden friends are using and have had great results. You can ask Copperbelle, as she uses it on her dogs. It can also be used on humans. Here are the ingredients:

Distilled water, aloe, sulphated castor oil, vegetable glycerine, hydrosols
of: lavender, t-tree, black spruce, essential oils of geranium,
citronella,peppermint, cedarwood, atlas & lemon.


A very popular product is the "Bug Me Not" spray for the summer. It is an all natural bug and mosquito repellant (available for dogs & puppies). Very gentle bug spray - NO Harsh Chemicals. It helps keep flies and mosquitos away without harming your canine. It is "Nature's Bug Repellent" as the essential oils harness the plant's natural defences against bugs & insects.

I had a mini-panic attack when i noticed a few red puffy spots on the underbelly of my puppy a few weeks ago - immediately called the vet as any worried new mom would do, they assured me it's just bug bites (black flies, mosquitos, etc...). dogs definately get bites. as long as they go away in a few days, nothing to worry about.

I do know that garlic is a natural mosquito repellant. there are no mosquitos in a garlic field. You can add fresh garlic to the dogs food or you can even buy a garlic spray for your yard. (garlic works for fleas too)

Before trying any herbal stuff, please check w/ a holistic vet.

Holistic Itchy Skin Remedy:
3 drops agrimony flower essence
3 drops beech flower essence
3 drops cherry plum flower essence
3 drops crab apple flower essence
3 drops walnut flower essence
mix these with spring water into a small (4 oz) plastic spray bottle. shake well. spritz itchy spots 2x day.

flower essences are available in most health stores.

I am using Benadryl for Spencer (21lb Beagle). He gets 2.5mL 2x per day (dosage given from my vet). It is supposed to help with the itching and seasonal allergies. Some animals can be allergic to but bites making it even worse.

Garlic, that's great, we eat quite a bit garlic in our daily diet! How much garlic is enough to be effective? One clove per meal? Finely diced and sprinkle over the kibbles?

This year I feel, Ottawa is suffering a city-wide mosquito infectation! I usually get a few bites for the entire summer, but am now covered in bug bites! :mad: I believe that the city stopped spraying due to low risk of West Niles, and also as a cost-cutting measure. :rolleyes:

Garlic (and onions) for dogs can be dangerous if you're not careful. Please review the following link.

Garlic and Dogs (http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1939&articleid=2414)

Garlic, that's great, we eat quite a bit garlic in our daily diet! How much garlic is enough to be effective? One clove per meal? Finely diced and sprinkle over the kibbles?


I'm not an herbalist or a vet, so I can't give you a quantity for ingesting. Just alerting you that garlic is a natural mosquito repellant. As Sammiec mentioned, it could potentially be harmfull, as ANY herb can. If you choose to use garlic, (or any herbal remedies), you should consult a holistic vet, as I said in my first post. What I, or people I know use, may not be suitable for your dog.

Frankly, I use a very small amount, and limit my pup's exposure during peak mosquito hours (such as dawn and dusk).

Definitely - unless I am around as I am a mosquito magnet. I have children's Benadryl on hand in case it is needed for my pup. But you have to ask your vet for correct dose for your dog - and also make sure you dog is not allergic to it - I am.

Thanks everyone, I'll consult my vet.

I'm a bit late, but yes, they can get bitten. Usually, they get bitten on their bellies where the hair is thinner. Dogs with no hair at all on their bellies turn red with bug bites really quickly...

I don't know if you were wondering or not, but revolution does get the heartworms too so that's fine. :)

Ok, called the vet, he was busy so the vet technician responded by saying that the small bites are likely to be caused by red ants or other small bugs rather than mosquitos, and that they hear a lot of similar complaints around this time of the year.

She suggested to spray Diego with children's OFF. And to help with Diego's itchiness, she suggested some kind of anti-itch calamine cream or benadryl. However she actually thinks that it's better to do nothing but to protect the puppy, i.e. use children's OFF, but not treating the existing bites. Does this sound about right?

Diego's been scratching his underbelly, crotch and "armpit" areas like crazy lately. These bites have caused him a great deal of discomfort, I'm really concerned.

Grover4: Did you give Spencer children's liquid benadryl?

[QUOTE=Goldenmom]Can you email me privately? I sell an aromatherapy all natural Bug Spray that all my Golden friends are using and have had great results. You can ask Copperbelle, as she uses it on her dogs. It can also be used on humans. Here are the ingredients:

Yes, I do use this bug spray. AT first I found the smell quite funky but now love it. The dogs use to hate when I used a bug spray on them but don't mind this one at all. I would recommend it and have to others.

Have you checked for fleas? My dogs get bitten by mosquitos but the scratching does not drive them crazy. One of my goldens gets a rash from swimming in a particular lake. My vet described it to me to be something like swimmer's itch which people sometimes get. It takes a few rounds of antibiotics to get it cleared up. The rash or bumps appear, disappear and then reappear in different parts of her body. It is very itchy for her.
I would recommend a trip to the vets to get the rash diagnosed in case it is more than bug bites.

I just noticed something similar on Leon's underbelly. A few small black spots and a greenish zit. He had been licking his belly for a couple of weeks, but I thought he was just cleaning himself.