We got back from camping after the weekend, and Ceileigh and Squirt stayed outside in the run (and shed)....my other big dogs are all fine, but poor Squirt has bleeding ears from flybites....just that fast....
I used to use SWAT on my dogs...but even that formula has changed and I feel it is too potent for dogs...it is still fine for the horses, but I need something gentler for the dogs....
What is a good product to use for this...of course he needs an antibiotic ointment in the meantime, so I will get that at the vet this afternoon and see what they have on the shelf for flybites as well....
Flies do not bite, least of all animals. Are you talking about horse-flies? They too generally do not bite domestic pets.
Perhaps this isn't flies, etc at all but something else. Best to have your vet check him over. Anything could have happened while you were gone. You need to rule out mosquito bites, are all your dogs on heartworm preventative?
hhmmm....I know flies land on me and sting/bite...and my yellow lab years ago always had wounds on his ears with flies hovering if I did not get them treated right away (that is when I used SWAT)...I just thought that this was flybites as well....
I will see if my son can get him in to have the vet check his ears tomorrow...
sooo...if not flies biting his ears to bleeding...what else would be doing that? All I ever have seen are the flies at their ears when the weather turns like this....
Could be excessive scratching, which might lead to hematomas on the ears, which would lead to extensive care from your vet.
Flies (like common house flies) are not generally known to bite small animals. Generally all they want to do is lay eggs in open wounds or infected tissue. Horse flies on the other hand, are nasty, they are usually around bodies of water, wells, pastures, fields, etc....if you don't know what they look like, they are larger than the house fly, brown or dark brown/black in color, large wings and fly faster than house flies. Their bites are painful, and WILL bite animals or humans if they are too close or in large numbers together.
Might also be fleas or mosquitoes, and resulted in bites and excessive scratching, particularly in this hot weather. If it was super hot when you were gone and he didn't have a chance to run, get away from bugs etc, then he was sort of trapped with them and scratching is inevitable. It could also be that he and Celiegh rough-housed, she chewed on his ears, etc especially if they were confined somewhat and didn't have an opportunity to get away from each other.
I'm just concerned Tambrey, because you say the ears are bleeding, this is a breeding ground for infection, especially if he is scratching them.
oh I know...this is why I want to get antibiotic ointment for him as well as something to treat and keep insects away...they have Frontline already as well....
no standing water...the horses drink theirs too fast and it has an automatic float in it...and I am careful for other standing water because I do not like the smell or insects that breed in it!!
I'm not sure if you have friendlier horseflies in the US, but I know here they will bite animals. Nose and ears are favorites spots for them. I have seen them get to Nikki before I could brush them off.
I have to agree that some flies do bite. A previous dog of ours, SamoyedShepherd mix, had terrible problems with them, and it was the flies and nothing else. Yes, they looked like horseflies not houseflies, and we are not in a swampy area. It was just in our suburban backyard.
But they loved to chew his ears as Tambrey is describing. I wish I could remember the name, but the Vet gave me a cream in a white container to rub on the tips of his ears, and it did work!
This makes me wonder if a breed might be susceptible, or feeding them a food to give off an odor. I have not had that problem with any of my dogs since....and it has been 13 years since Bear passed away.
I was bit by a horse fly during a biker rally. OMG My dh saw it and said ouch and by the time we got back to the hotel the owner said that you better suck that stuff out or it will get worse. Horse flies are the worst.
From what I remember flies dont usually bite and dont bite animals BUT if the animal has even the tiniest little cut the fly or flies will breed there. ICK They like rotting stuff to lay eggs on hence the maggots.
Sorry to be so graphic but the flies being around a dog can be that he has a few cuts from somthing else. Could it have been a tick bite, the tick swelled and then fell off and left the infection from the bite. I know that happens to my dogs, with out without treatment.
Not saying they wont bite a human/animal but I think the flies being around is more for laying eggs then anything else. BUT dang that one that got me...well i killed him good! LOL I had an enormous ear the entire time we were there and man did it itch. We laugh about it now but i was crying for 4 days back then.
Almost 7 years in remission from Graves disease and no meds!
We don't see many horse flies here in Florida, but we've got some nasty biting flies. I remember horseflies from Tennessee - they were a mean bunch! And I can remember how awful the biting deerflies were at the beach in Virginia in August. We didn't know about them when we first moved there, but we only made the mistake of going to the beach that time of year once!
"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." ~ Josh Billings.
went to the vet and he gave us an ointment to put on his ears to help keep them free from irritation and to heal...as well as a topical insect repellant
I know...Traci is going to ask what it is....it is out on the vestibule...I will grab it the next time I am out there and check waht it is...I forget...
