Summer is a lot of fun, and you can have a lot of fun outside with your dog. But summer is also the peak season for mosquitoes. As the summer starts to heat up, dogs will spend more and more time outside, and that’s when mosquito bites start to occur more frequently. This can be uncomfortable for the dog and even dangerous. Luckily, there are a few steps that you can take to protect your dog from mosquito bites.
Why mosquito bites are dangerous for dogs
Mosquitoes are known vectors of disease, and they can spread pathogens to both humans and dogs, and although they cannot spread a lot of diseases between the two species, they still pose a significant risk to your pet.
One of the potentially life-threatening parasites that mosquitoes can spread to dogs is the heartworm, which enters the bloodstream and causes serious problems in the lungs, heart and blood vessels of the host. You then have the West Nile virus, which can cause serious problems in humans, but only mild damage to dogs. Still, the symptoms can get very severe when our pets are infected, especially if they are puppies or if they have a compromised immune system. Finally, you have allergic reactions in some dogs, and there are certain rare diseases which can be spread to animals by mosquitoes.
Protecting the dog
There are a few ways in which you can protect your dog from mosquito bites and their effects. To start, you want to cover your bases and make sure that your dog is protected from heartworm. Make sure that you take it to the vet regularly, especially if you notice that it’s ill. You then want to keep your dog indoors during the dusk and dawn of summer days, when mosquitoes are at their most active. If you do let the dog outside during these time frames, apply some dog-safe insect repellent to keep it protected. Make sure that you do not use insect repellent that is meant for humans, because there can be serious complications.
We can also help you get rid of any large mosquito population that you may have on your property, to lower the risk for you and your pet even more. Contact us today if you are dealing with a heavy mosquito infestation and you would like to get rid of it.
