Flies Biting My Dog’s Ears!
Flies are very aggravating to animals and humans alike.
Flies often bite the edge of the dog’s ear, and once a little blood is present,
every fly in the area will be attracted to the ear. The painful bites can
aggravate your animals to the point of weight loss.
Outside pets and livestock need assistance to manage these pests. Treatment
involves cleaning the inside of the irritated ear, healing the raw ear and
keeping the flies off.
- Use VET BASICS General Ear Cleanser to remove the debris inside the ear that was caused by
shaking and scratching at their ears.
- Clean the ear margin with hydrogen peroxide or ChlorConazole wipes to get the crusting off. The ChlorConazole will kill
or prevent bacterial and fungal (ringworm) infections from settling in the
traumatized area.
- VIP Fly Ointment will keep the flies off the area until it is healed.
Apply liberally to the affected ear margin and behind the ear if there are
abrasions from scratching. This is all that is needed if it's caught
early. Repeat daily for five days, then weekly as needed to prevent
re-occurrence.
- Mega-Tek Pet Rebuilder can be used on pets with lots of hair loss or trauma.
Mega-Tek is great for cracked skin or pads, ear margins and irritated
spots or hot spots. Mega-Tek will also help the hair return quickly. After
cleaning the areas with ChlorConazole, liberally apply Mega-Tek to cover
the area. It will seal and soothe the raw area and encourage hair growth.
- Spray your pet with Mycodex All-in-One Spray to repel flies. It is water-based (most sprays are
alcohol-based), so it can be used on the head without irritating the ears
or eyes. You will need to apply it daily until the ear is healed, then as
needed to keep the flies off. Most topical repellents do have Pyrethrins
in them, and this is a way to add repellent to a wider area of your dog's
body.
Animal areas should have fly bait or traps to capture adult flies before they
can lay eggs. Even removing some flies from the breeding population will
decrease the next generation. QuickBayt can be mixed with water and painted
on a fly bait station. The granules can also be used directly in an open
container to attract and kill flies. Fly Traps
work by trapping flies in a container where they die. The traps can then be
discarded and replaced if needed. Both methods have been used effectively in
kennels and livestock facilities, even under decks to keep flies away from
humans. You can also spray the area with premise sprays,
which provide quick knockdown of flies and other insects in the broad area
around where animals live.
Dogs can inflict lots of damage on themselves just trying to keep flies off
their ears. These traumatized ears can be very painful to your dog, but with
the right treatment and fly repellent, you can soothe the pain and heal the
trauma
USE Essential
Oils...
Protect your pooch from fly strikes
by making your own non-toxic fly repellent from essential oils. Since the
chemicals in most commercial fly repellents can be as harmful to your dog as
they are to the flies, using essential oils to protect your faithful friend
might be the solution you've been looking for.
Certain essential oils have natural fly repelling properties. Idaho tansy,
geranium, sandalwood, lavender, rosemary, and lemon essential oils are all
known to repel flies naturally. To make your own essential oils spray, dilute
five to 10 drops of your preferred essential oil into a 32-ounce spray bottle
of distilled water and shake the bottle well before applying.
Avoid getting spray into your dog's eyes, nose or mouth by using a cloth or
cotton swab to apply remedies to his skin. Never apply essential oils directly
to your dog's fur or skin without first diluting them with water since pure
oils can irritate the skin.
Apple
Cider Vinegar
Enlist the help of apple cider
vinegar in your battle against flies. Apple cider vinegar is a natural fly
repellent that you can apply topically to your dog or add to his food and
water. Since most dogs don’t appreciate the taste, though, your best bet is to
dilute apple cider vinegar with water 1:1 in a spray bottle and apply it to
your dog’s ears and face.
If you need help, call us at 1-800-786-4751.
-Dr. B
Don Bramlage, DVM, Director of Veterinary Services at Revival Animal Health
Flies Biting My Dog’s Ears!
Flies are very aggravating to animals and humans alike.
Flies often bite the edge of the dog’s ear, and once a little blood is present,
every fly in the area will be attracted to the ear. The painful bites can
aggravate your animals to the point of weight loss.
Outside pets and livestock need assistance to manage these pests. Treatment
involves cleaning the inside of the irritated ear, healing the raw ear and
keeping the flies off.
- Use VET BASICS General Ear Cleanser to remove the debris inside the ear that was caused by shaking and scratching at their ears.
- Clean the ear margin with hydrogen peroxide or ChlorConazole wipes to get the crusting off. The ChlorConazole will kill or prevent bacterial and fungal (ringworm) infections from settling in the traumatized area.
- VIP Fly Ointment will keep the flies off the area until it is healed. Apply liberally to the affected ear margin and behind the ear if there are abrasions from scratching. This is all that is needed if it's caught early. Repeat daily for five days, then weekly as needed to prevent re-occurrence.
- Mega-Tek Pet Rebuilder can be used on pets with lots of hair loss or trauma. Mega-Tek is great for cracked skin or pads, ear margins and irritated spots or hot spots. Mega-Tek will also help the hair return quickly. After cleaning the areas with ChlorConazole, liberally apply Mega-Tek to cover the area. It will seal and soothe the raw area and encourage hair growth.
- Spray your pet with Mycodex All-in-One Spray to repel flies. It is water-based (most sprays are alcohol-based), so it can be used on the head without irritating the ears or eyes. You will need to apply it daily until the ear is healed, then as needed to keep the flies off. Most topical repellents do have Pyrethrins in them, and this is a way to add repellent to a wider area of your dog's body.
Animal areas should have fly bait or traps to capture adult flies before they
can lay eggs. Even removing some flies from the breeding population will
decrease the next generation. QuickBayt can be mixed with water and painted
on a fly bait station. The granules can also be used directly in an open
container to attract and kill flies. Fly Traps
work by trapping flies in a container where they die. The traps can then be
discarded and replaced if needed. Both methods have been used effectively in
kennels and livestock facilities, even under decks to keep flies away from
humans. You can also spray the area with premise sprays,
which provide quick knockdown of flies and other insects in the broad area
around where animals live.
Dogs can inflict lots of damage on themselves just trying to keep flies off
their ears. These traumatized ears can be very painful to your dog, but with
the right treatment and fly repellent, you can soothe the pain and heal the
trauma
USE Essential Oils...
Protect your pooch from fly strikes
by making your own non-toxic fly repellent from essential oils. Since the
chemicals in most commercial fly repellents can be as harmful to your dog as
they are to the flies, using essential oils to protect your faithful friend
might be the solution you've been looking for.
Certain essential oils have natural fly repelling properties. Idaho tansy,
geranium, sandalwood, lavender, rosemary, and lemon essential oils are all
known to repel flies naturally. To make your own essential oils spray, dilute
five to 10 drops of your preferred essential oil into a 32-ounce spray bottle
of distilled water and shake the bottle well before applying.
Avoid getting spray into your dog's eyes, nose or mouth by using a cloth or
cotton swab to apply remedies to his skin. Never apply essential oils directly
to your dog's fur or skin without first diluting them with water since pure
oils can irritate the skin.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Enlist the help of apple cider vinegar in your battle against flies. Apple cider vinegar is a natural fly repellent that you can apply topically to your dog or add to his food and water. Since most dogs don’t appreciate the taste, though, your best bet is to dilute apple cider vinegar with water 1:1 in a spray bottle and apply it to your dog’s ears and face.
If you need help, call us at 1-800-786-4751.
-Dr. B
Don Bramlage, DVM, Director of Veterinary Services at Revival Animal Health