Flies can be a major source of frustration, agony and stress for outdoor dogs. Flies of all types, including Houseflies, Stable flies, Buffalo flies and Sand flies, are attracted to waste products, rotting food, hot and humid weather. Problems arise when flies bite the faces, mouths and bodies of dogs, transfer bacteria and create sores which can be used as breeding areas for fly eggs. This can cause maggots to appear and eat away at your pet. Yikes!!! Luckily, there are steps you can take to help keep flies off your dog.
Keep your dog inside the house or in a protected area away from fly exposure during the hottest hours of the day. Flies reduce their activity significantly when the sun goes down.
Remove waste products immediately from your yard or common outdoor areas where your dog resides. Flies are attracted to feces. Check your dog's fur often for fecal matter and clean it off quickly.
Clean up food that is left outside. Flies are attracted to food once it begins to spoil from the sun.
Use home remedy solutions to repel flies. Cynthia Measom from Daily Puppy recommends mixing two cups of vinegar, one cup of Avon brand Skin So Soft, one cup of water, one tbsp. of eucalyptus oil and one tbsp. of citronella oil together. This concoction can be put into a spray bottle and applied to your dog's coat to repel flies.
Apply petroleum jelly to your dog's ears to protect them. Flies cannot bite through petroleum jelly.
Use antibiotic cream on infected areas to help heal fly bites.
Tips
Take your dog to the veterinarian if you notice bite marks, bleeding or maggots on your dog.
References
Writer Bio
Rachel Cates, a professional life coach, has been writing since 2001. She contributes blogs for Ultimate Vision Life Coaching and has written for "The M'Powerment Hour" and "Washington Spark" newspapers. Cates has a Bachelor of Arts in broadcast communications from Temple University.