How to Keep Flies Off Dogs? 3 Easy & Effective Ways (2023)

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Keeping flies off your dog is crucial to helping him stay happy and healthy.

Flies hang out in unsanitary places (heaps of trash, sewage, waste dumps, etc.), feed on the rotting materials, and researchers suspect flies transmit at least 65% of all diseases to humans – including anthrax, E. coli, and dysentery.

While we can knock these pesky pests away with a hand or a fly swatter, our dogs are often at their mercy, which can be frustrating and potentially dangerous to your dog’s health.

Flies irritate dogs, but fly bites can also irritate the skin and cause infections.

So how to keep flies off dogs? Fortunately, there are ways to keep flies away from your dog.

Grooming your dog often, cleaning your house regularly, and using fly repellants can keep these pests away from your dog.

Flies Types

Several types of flies cause flight problems in cattle, horses, goats, and dogs.

• Adult stable flies  (Stomoxys calcitrans) have rasping teeth with blades to attack the skin of animals. They feed on the blood and exudation of wounds on the animal. The bite of the fly often causes wounds with scabs. The lesion may be itchy, and the flies will make the animal worry—wound exudate.
• Horse flies (Tabanids) bite pieces of skin to feed on exudate and blood. The bite is painful.
• Deer fly (Chrysops) and mosquitoes and horse flies also cause nasty bites. All insect repellents can cause allergies, with skin irritation and itching.
• Fly larvae can infect old animals that become wet with burning urine and cannot move or clean enough.
• Buffalo flies (Haematobla irritants) are a severe problem in late summer. The situation in tropical Australia.

The most common problem in dogs is fly-bite dermatitis of their ears, but other parts of their bodies can be attacked.

Certain breeds (German Shepherds, Labrador retrievers) appear particularly susceptible, and individual dogs seem to be more severely affected.

The problem is most apparent during Sydney’s warmer months when flies fly and breed.

Why do Flies Bite My Dog?

Flies can attract a dog’s coat, especially if it is burdock or unclean due to an illness, skin condition, or diarrhea.

This type of infestation can be prevented by keeping a sick dog indoors clean.

Some flies, such as horseflies, can bite your dog’s ears, stomach, or back, which can hurt, bleed, and become infected. While these bites are irritating to our pets, flies do not form the same dog’s health risks as other insects.

Flies are mainly active during the day in warm weather, so if they tend to bother your dog, make sure to keep her indoors during that time.

However, it is essential to troubleshoot medical issues predisposing your dog to fly infestations.

Health Hazards Of Fly bites

Flies are more than just pesky critters, and they can pose a real health risk to your dog.

Most flies attack your dog’s ears or face, where they can less defend themselves against painful bites. The broken and damaged skin attracts more flies, which feed on blood meal and cause additional skin irritation.

Even if your precious dog is not allergic to fly bites, some flies can use the damaged skin to lay fly eggs that will later hatch in larvae and provide a breeding ground for infection.

How to Keep Flies Away From Dogs

Flies generally fall on a cat or dog’s ears, stomach and groin, as these areas provide more skin.

Dog ears are a viral target, especially with Labradors and German Shepherds.

Try these simple precautions to prevent your pet from being part of a fly’s daily selection.

Regularly Clean Up Your Dog’s

Flies are attracted to dung, so cleaning up dog piles daily (or even twice a day) can reduce the likelihood of biting insects attracting to your yard.

Brushing and bathing your dog once or twice a month will make them less likely to attract flies.

In addition to monthly grooming sessions, brush and bathe your dog when you notice flies targeting your dog. Especially during the summer months when flies are more active.

Fly sprays

Try a fly spray made with an ounce of citronella oil and cider vinegar. Add a cup of water and a leaf of basil and bay leaf.

Permethrin sprays are an excellent resource for keeping fleas, ticks, and flying insects away in warm weather. It also proves cost-effective with a small ratio used for a water-filled spray bottle.

This can be used in areas around dog bedding and exercise areas. It can also be reused during the hot months if necessary.

More indoor time

Keep your dog’s indoors during the hottest times of the day. Because flies are most active during the day and especially in high temperatures, keeping your dog indoors will significantly reduce his exposure to flies.

Keep winged insects outside your home by ensuring that window and door screens are secure, with no entry points or gaps.

Make holes around pipes and vents to prevent flies from entering.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Add a few drops of apple cider vinegar to your dog’s water.

The acid build-up in his body can keep flies away from your dog. Use apple cider vinegar mixed with Pine-Sol, water, and orange scent as a fly spray.

Essential oils

The other method you can use to make an effective fly spray to get rid of flies away from dogs is to take advantage of insect repellent benefits of essential oils. To make an essential oil blend, you need a large atomizer with water and the essential oil of your choice.

If flies are targeting a specific area on your canine, say his ears, try using petroleum jelly to the location to keep them from biting.

Squirt a percentage of petroleum jelly right into your hand and rub it on both sides of your dog’s ears. This will undoubtedly avoid flies from touchdown there once again and give your dog’s wounds time to recover. Attack wounds can bring in even more flies, so applying petroleum jelly works as a natural fly repellent to your dog’s ears is essential to prevent more irritability.

According to the American College of Healthcare Sciences, basil, eucalyptus, and bergamot are some of the best essential oils for repelling insects such as flies.

Thyme essential oil can also be an excellent ingredient for fly spray. And also works to repel mosquitoes naturally. Once you have your oil, add a few drops to an entire water container to dilute the oil properly, as never apply essential oils directly to your skin cap, even if it is listed as dog safe or non-toxic.

Before applying essential oils to your dog, it is essential that you and your vet visit. Why? Because many essential oils are toxic to dogs, cats, and other animals when ingested. Because the natural fly repellent spray is applied topically, your dog will lick some of it.

Some necessary oils can be dangerous for your pet, so you’ll wish to avoid using them. Though not a complete checklist, the following necessary oils can cause a lot more issues than they solve:

• Tea tree oil
• Pennyroyal
• Oil of wintergreen
• Pine oils
• Cinnamon oil
• Citrus oils
• Peppermint oil
• Sweet birch oil
• Ylang-ylang oil

Many of these call for a high dosage to trigger troubles, but it’s simply best to prevent utilizing them as a fly repellant. An additional important consideration for keeping flies off canines is their environment.

Ointment

Use a mixture of baby oil and pramoxine in equal parts to make an ointment. This heals bites and prevents additional biting.

Please keep it in a clean jar and use it during the racing season. It will stay fresh for a few months. Make a new batch for next season.

Pesticides

Some fly pests may warrant a more aggressive use of outdoor chemicals.

Pesticides contain pyrethroid and similar compounds, but these are poisonous and pose a hazard to children, pets, and livestock.

AlicensedPest control agents may be able to advise and assist with treatment.

However, insecticides do not provide long-term solutions as sunlight and the elements break down the chemicals.

Be careful not to use pesticides in the home for long periods of time due to their toxicity.

Final Thoughts: How to Keep Flies Off Dogs

Flies are a hassle that can’t just be ignored. They are frustrating, but their attacks can be unbearable and cause infection or infestation for your pet dog. It’s essential to keep your canine, lawn, and house clean to eliminate food sources from the flies. Making these three easy points will mainly remove the issue.

If you can not get rid of the files yourself, you need to call a specialist. Though it will cost more money, a specialist will certainly have the ability to locate their breeding ground, terminate the problem, and keep your risk-free canine long-term.