Dog owners, like everyone else, are accustomed to taking mosquito bites for granted. However, even such a harmless incident can cause serious consequences for the animal’s body.
Mosquitoes are insects belonging to the order Diptera. Only females bite animals and people, since they need the proteins contained in the blood to reproduce offspring. Most people know that these insects become especially active in the late afternoon and in areas with high humidity.
Dogs with short hair (cropped or short-haired), as well as very young puppies, are especially susceptible to mosquito bites. Toy dogs are usually more sensitive to this kind of “attack.”
Signs of fleas in dogs
What to pay attention to: If your dog has fleas, he will constantly itch and lick himself. Look for fleas or black debris on the animal's head, neck, and groin. Dogs with sensitive skin may suffer from allergic dermatitis, an allergic reaction to proteins in flea saliva. Fleas also carry tapeworms, which can be transmitted to your pet.
Preventing fleas in dogs is very effective. Ask your veterinarian for advice on finding an effective treatment in the form of a chewable treat, tablet, drops on the withers, or a flea collar.
How to get rid of fleas on a dog: to solve the problem, you need to carry out a course of treatment. If you are unable to prevent infestation with these parasites, bathe your dog with a special flea shampoo. Vacuum and wash areas of the house where your pet spends a lot of time, and if necessary, consider using a flea spray or home pest control product. Flea preventatives and collars are always the best way to get rid of these insects! Once these bloodsuckers get into your home, they are extremely difficult to eradicate.
Remedies for bites
If affected areas are detected, the wounds are treated with an antiseptic drug. As first aid for a dog use:
- medical, ammonia, boric alcohol;
- tincture of valerian, calendula, motherwort;
- laundry soap foam;
- baking soda paste;
- shaving foam;
- hydrogen peroxide;
- Menovazin.
If a severe allergic reaction occurs, take your dog to the veterinarian. Antihistamines and antiallergic drugs are required. Prescribe medications that are used to treat allergies in people.
- Fenistil gel;
- Psilo-Balm;
- Hydrocortisone ointment;
- Elokom;
- Triaccutane;
- Sinaflan.
If general health worsens, tablets or drops with an antihistamine effect are given:
- Claritin;
- Fenistil;
- Diazolin;
- El Cet;
- Eden.
The condition returns to normal within a day, the skin recovers in a few days.
On a note!
If a dog is bitten in the eye by a mosquito, severe swelling occurs. To get rid of it, apply a cold compress and ice cubes wrapped in gauze for a few minutes.
Ticks on dogs
What to look for: Ticks can live in almost any environment and are found at any time of the year, but most often they wait for their victims in grass and bushes, from spring to late autumn, and in some regions - all year round. Look for small brown spots, swollen black or gray dots on the dog's face, head, paws, sides, limbs, ears and groin. It is necessary to examine the animal after every walk or exit to the street. Even if a tick gets on the dog's body, such inspections will help prevent a bite or prevent it from spreading to other pets or even family members.
Ticks are carriers of serious diseases that can be transmitted to both animals and people. Symptoms of conditions such as piroplasmosis (babesiosis), Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and bartonellosis can be difficult to diagnose because they may not appear for days, weeks or even months after a tick bite, says the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation. Prevention is the key to keeping your dog healthy.
Preventing ticks in dogs: Many medications prescribed for flea prevention also protect against ticks. To prevent tick-borne infections, check your pet from nose to tail after every walk and report any unusual behavior, such as irritability or severe lethargy, to your veterinarian.
How to get rid of ticks from a dog: if your pet is bitten by a tick, take tweezers or a special device for removing the tick (these are usually available in veterinary pharmacies). Grab the tick as close to the dog's skin as possible and gently pull, turning it 2-3 turns if you are using tweezers, without squeezing the body (this can crush the tick). Place the tick on a piece of tape or in a small jar of alcohol in case a veterinarian needs to test for disease. If you are not sure or the tick has not been completely removed, it is better to seek help from a veterinarian.
Periods of greatest insect activity
All insects are especially active at different times of the day. So, in hot sunny weather you can easily find horseflies. Mosquitoes are capable of sucking blood around the clock. Bumblebees can attack starting in May, and wasps and bees - with the onset of the summer months. Midges are active throughout the daylight hours.
Life cycle of a mosquito
The presence of certain insects also depends on the area. For example, horseflies live almost everywhere. There are many of them in forest areas, near water bodies and in marshy areas. Ordinary mosquitoes are found almost everywhere. Midges are most often found in river valleys, near fast-flowing water, in the taiga, etc.
Scabies mite in dogs
What to look for: Scabies mites are so small and burrow so deep into your dog's skin that they are difficult to see. But any owner will notice the consequences - inflammation, hair loss and skin lesions. Scabies mites in dogs are noticeable by one symptom - severe itching. If your normally calm dog begins to constantly itch and bite itself, it's time to call a veterinarian.
Prevention: Unfortunately, there are no preventative treatments for scabies mite infection. These parasites are contagious and are spread through contact with other dogs and animals such as foxes. You need to monitor whether the dog began to itch after visiting the kennel or exploring places where wild animals may live.
How to get rid of scabies mites in a dog: Woodruff Veterinary Clinic states that the most effective method of treatment is to contact a veterinarian, who, after examination and appropriate research, will make an accurate diagnosis and tell you how to treat your dog.
Distribution and development of heartworms
The causative agents of this disease, dirofilaria, are dangerous mainly due to the fact that the process of their reproduction takes place precisely in the dog’s heart, its blood vessels, and also in muscle tissue. These parasites are viviparous helminths that go through several stages of growth.
Microfilariae are larvae in the first stage of development. They can live in the blood of an animal for years. A mosquito, when biting a dog, provides the larvae with a path into their own body, where the parasites go through the remaining stages of growth in a few weeks and become invasive individuals capable of infecting a new mammal. After a mosquito carrying dirofilaria bites a healthy dog, the invasive individuals enter the dermis and then into the tissue, where they continue their development.
Having reached the fifth stage of development, heartworms become able to penetrate blood vessels and enter the heart of the animal. After about six months, the larvae become able to reproduce in the dog's body.
This type of helminth can grow to impressive sizes - the body length of individual adult individuals can be more than thirty centimeters.
The spread of these parasites inevitably leads to disruption of the most important internal organs and systems of the host body. Ignoring the symptoms of dirofilariasis can have a serious impact on your pet’s health and even lead to death.
What to do if your dog is bitten by mosquitoes
What to look for: Pets, like people, instantly feel a tingling sensation at the site of a mosquito bite, so you may see your dog suddenly licking, nipping or scratching at areas of itself. A mosquito bite may cause swelling, redness and hives in your dog, but it itself is unlikely to cause long-term harm to your dog.
The most common problem associated with a dog being bitten by a mosquito is heartworm infection, called heartworm disease. If a mosquito carries heartworm larvae (heartworms), this dangerous disease can be transmitted to your pet.
Prevention: It is much more important to protect your pet from heartworms than from the bite itself. Give your dog precise dosages of veterinarian-prescribed oral or topical preventatives year-round, especially during mosquito season, advises the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. Special medications to prevent heartworm disease can protect your dog's heart and lungs and possibly save his life.
How to Treat Mosquito Bites: Aside from the risk of heartworm, an itchy bite is unlikely to cause long-term harm to your dog. There are natural mosquito repellents that are safe for pets. Ask your veterinarian what safe products they recommend because some may be toxic to pets.
Accelerate wound healing
The search for something to put on a mosquito bite to prevent itching can last a very long time. Especially if you look among special ointments and creams that are designed specifically to combat insect bites. These products contain various components that help accelerate the regeneration of soft tissues, as well as additional oils and herbal extracts to relieve inflammation.
Bepanten
Safe ointment from the famous German manufacturer Bayer. It is completely safe, so it is even recommended to smear mosquito bites on children under one year old. The active ingredient is dexpanthenol. Available in tubes of 3.5, 30 and 100 g. Additionally, the composition contains alcohols, white beeswax, and almond oil.
The consistency is very fatty and dense, which ensures economical consumption. The purpose of this product is to accelerate the processes of tissue regeneration and the formation of new skin. Mosquito bite ointment should be applied to clean skin 2 times a day. Cost from 600 rubles per 100 g tube.
Another ointment, Dexpanthenol, has a similar effect and the same concentration of the active substance. 50 g of this product will cost 80-90 rubles.
Panthenol
Ointment after bites based on dexpanthenol for external use. Additionally contains lanolin and petroleum jelly, which provide proper nutrition to the skin. Average cost from 300 rubles. Also available in cream and spray form.
Dexpanthenol penetrates damaged skin and promotes the production of pantothenic acid, which is responsible for the integrity of the skin. It helps perfectly even with heavily scratched wounds.
Means that accelerate wound healing
Rescuer
A universal balm against many skin lesions. In the case of mosquito bites, it helps relieve itching, reduce redness, and prevents the spread of the reaction to a mosquito bite. It is based on natural ingredients:
- olive oil – moisturizes;
- turpentine oil – relieves pain;
- sea buckthorn oil – accelerates healing;
- essential oils – relieve swelling, eliminate itching.
- vitamins A and E – nourish the skin and accelerate the regeneration process.
You can apply the rescuer 2-3 times a day until the main redness subsides, then reduce the number of applications to 1. The cost is 150-170 rubles per 30 g.
Levomekol
Relatively inexpensive ointment, but very effective. 40 g cost from 100 rubles. It is often prescribed to restore the skin after injuries and operations. A very strong antibiotic that helps to instantly get rid of acute reactions to mosquito bites. You can simply apply the ointment to the wound or apply compresses for 20-30 minutes.
What to do if your dog is bitten by a bee, wasp or hornet
What to watch out for: Accidentally stumbling upon an angry bee, wasp or hornet will be just as unpleasant for your dog as it is for you. The bite will cause sharp and severe pain, so you will likely hear the dog yelp. The dog will limp if it has stepped on a bee, or scratch and lick itself if it has been stung elsewhere.
Some dogs are allergic to bee stings. In these cases, symptoms may include swelling, redness, hives, vomiting, diarrhea, incoordination, or even collapse. Even if your dog doesn't have allergies, bites to the nose or mouth can make breathing difficult due to swelling. Call your veterinarian immediately if your dog gets more than one or two bee stings.
Prevention: Bees are hard to hide from, but if there is a hive near your home that is bothering you and your dog, talk to a local beekeeper or exterminator about moving it.
How to treat bee stings: Dr. Patty Hooley writes in the Miami Herald that if your dog is stung somewhere other than the mouth or face, applying an ice pack may be all it takes. Treat bee stings on dogs the same way you would treat your own, but never give your dog human medications without first checking with a veterinarian.
While insect bites are inevitable in the summer, they can cause problems for you and your dog. By keeping an eye out for the most common insect bites on your dog, you can nip any problems your furry friend may have in the bud.
Symptoms of dirofilariasis
The clinical signs of the disease directly depend on how long the parasites live and reproduce in the dog’s body. The length of their stay directly determines the degree of damage to internal organs, in particular the heart and lungs.
Pets infected with helminths most often suffer from the following clinical signs:
- sudden, causeless weight loss;
- lethargy, apathy, depression;
- fatigue;
- decreased activity;
- trembling is observed;
- lethargy.
Symptoms of dirofilariasis begin to appear at the moment when ventricular hypertrophy begins. Since the disease provokes various forms of heart failure, swelling in the intermaxillary space, as well as swelling of the animal’s paws, may be observed.
In addition, with dirofilariasis, the specialist usually detects a heart murmur, enlargement and noticeable pulsation of the jugular veins, as well as ascites. Disturbances in the process of cardiac conduction during infection with helminths are found extremely rarely.
The dog may also suffer from a persistent dry cough, cyanosis of the skin, and noticeable wheezing in the lungs. Moreover, dirofilariasis is quite capable of causing thromboemmolia. In this case, there is a strong fever, fever, and a wet cough, sometimes with blood.
Diagnosis of the disease
It is impossible to diagnose this disease at home. If you notice at least a few of the above symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. Moreover, examination for dirofilariasis should be carried out several times a year for purely preventive purposes. Early detection of the disease can protect your pet from heart disease and lung problems.
Making a diagnosis will require a number of procedures and measures, including analysis of the symptoms of heartworm infection, laboratory and immunological tests, medical history, x-rays, as well as echocardiography and electrocardiography.
There is no preferred time period for performing a blood test to detect heartworms; it can be done during any season. Mosquito spreaders can also be found in a particular region throughout the year. It is also better to consult a specialist on this issue.
Laboratory testing of the disease can be carried out using the concentration method. It allows you to detect or refute the presence of helminths with one hundred percent accuracy in a matter of hours. To carry out the necessary analysis, the doctor needs to know about the cyclical nature of microfilariae and not neglect this knowledge.
Prevention of dirofilariasis
As you know, preventing the occurrence of a disease is usually much easier than treating it. Methods for preventing the disease are usually selected by a specialist.
The most obvious way to prevent dirofilariasis is to limit as much as possible the animal’s contact with the disease carriers, mosquitoes. For this, various insecticides are usually used.
There is also a type of drug prevention of dirofilariasis, which involves the use of low-toxic medications, which include moxidetin or ivermectin. Of course, such preventive measures are carried out only after consultation with a specialist who prescribes the dosage of medications.
