Unfortunately, blood-sucking mosquitoes don’t only pray on human flesh, but also attack our dear defenseless dogs (who don’t have the luxury of spraying repellant on themselves as humans do!) I’ll tell you how you can prevent these bites and also what you can do to prevent these tiny vampires from attacking in the future.

 

CAUSES

 

Dog mosquito bites are caused by pesky little mosquitoes feasting on a dog’s skin.  Dogs are not as easy a target as humans as far as mosquitoes are concerned, but once a mosquito bites a dog, it can be a very unpleasant experience for the pooch.  Another difference with humans is that dogs usually have a hard time swatting or driving mosquitoes away because of their limited range of vision and limited reach of their legs and tails, their only appendages that can be used to shoo mosquitoes away. 

 

SYMPTOMS

 

Dog mosquito bites don’t usually pose a big threat to a dog’s skin health unlike, say, ticks and fleas.  However, a lot of mosquito bites can certainly make your dog uneasy.  Mosquito attacks on your dog can make them disoriented, sick, and can affect their breathing and moving.  If this happens, a veterinarian could certainly come in handy to give relief to the itchiness your dog is certainly feeling.  Otherwise, if the dog seems fine and is just showing discomfort, observe its situation for 24 hours.   

 

SOLUTION

 

Remember that mosquitoes are known carriers of heartworm.  Heartworms, when transmitted by mosquitoes to dogs, can cause major health concerns to the latter by causing illness in the dog’s cardiovascular system.  Thus, it is essential not to just avoid mosquitoes; it is also needed to avoid heartworms.  Medicate your dog with a product that prevents heartworm infection. 

 

I also recommend you check out products that naturally help to clear up mosquito bites by working with your dog’s immune system. Some of these products will also help to relieve the scratching and itching that results from the bites (see e.g. www.k9klearup.com).

 

PREVENTION

 

To help your dog avoid being bitten and attacked by mosquitoes, it is important to empty any stagnant sources of water.  Stationary water is where mosquitoes thrive, and if a dog stays near places with stagnant water, mosquitoes bites are almost certain to occur. 

 

Keep your dog away from areas with ditches, ponds, and even puddles.  Water dishes and containers holding water should be covered always.  Water in them should also be replaced or emptied every other day.  Before you forget, make sure the water in dog dishes stays clean and is replaced as many times as possible.

 

Also, try to keep your dog inside your house, especially during dusk and dawn.  These times are usually the times that mosquitoes are most active.  Thus, keeping your dog indoors, where it is presumably mosquito-free, will save your precious pooch from mosquito bites and also from possible heartworm complications.

 

As with humans, you may also use repellants for your dogs.  There are actually repellants made for dogs to stop skin attacks by fleas and ticks. Some of these repellants also work in preventing dog mosquito bites.  A word of caution though – avoid products that contain DEET and essential oils.  Not only are they not effective for animals, they may actually cause worse problems for the dog’s health.  There are also supplements that a dog can take to boost his skin’s health even after being bitten by mosquitoes.  Yeast, vitamin supplements, and fresh garlic have been known to be effective resistance builders among dogs.

 

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