Insect repellant for "naked belly dogs"

[eric]

Well, the nice weather is finally here and we're spending lots of time outside. Unfortunately, so are the insects, especially black flies.

We were outside for a few hours yesterday and when we came in, we were horrified to see that Zeke's belly was covered in angry red welts. The flies don't seem to bite Sam and Travis as much, as their nether regions are well covered in fur.

Zeke, unfortunately, is a "naked belly dog" and his tender pink skin is fully exposed. He was in obvious discomfort last night, licking himself and walking with his tail down. I don't think he slept much either - he kept getting up and jumping on and off the bed, which isn't typical of him.

Anyhow, any ideas on insect repellent for him? It obviously has to be something non-toxic.

[eric]

Pretty sure it was blackflies - they were out yesterday. I got bit a few times and the welts I have are similar to what Zeke has.

[gooeydog]

There are a few fly repellant products on the market that work well, I've used one called "flies off" or something like that, made for dogs, it's a pasty type substance, and you just put it on any exposed areas... worked pretty well, though I was only coating a small area. I don't know for sure that it's safe, so you'd have to do some checking, but you might even be able to use horse fly spray, maybe someone else here knows?

[Guest Anonymous]

I find one of the best things to use.... Avon Skin-so-Soft.... put some in a spray bottle and mix some water in there. Then just mist it over your pet. Stuff works wonders. Use it on yourself too!!

[kendalyn]

The only thing I've ever found that is effective with black flies is covering up the skin. I go backpacking in the boundary waters every so often and the black flies up there are pretty brutal and fly spray won't even slow them down (we don't use it anyway because it eats through tent fabric)

Maybe you could make him a light jacket for when the flies are a problem?

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote]I find one of the best things to use.... Avon Skin-so-Soft.... put some in a spray bottle and mix some water in there. Then just mist it over your pet. Stuff works wonders. Use it on yourself too!![/quote]

Avon Skin so soft actually attracts the flying bandits to me and most people I know. I thought it would be great and used it last summer when I went fishing for a day...big mistake...it was the worst day of my life for being bitten...and my fellow fishing friends have never forgiven me :oops:

I usually head on down to the local horse tack shop and pick up natural bug repellants from there...not only works great on my horses, but, I have used it on myself and my dogs with great success...I will get the name of it for you. There are also lots of natural products you can use which I believe TDG will know...I have a book at home "some where" I will find and give you some of the products...there are also birds and bats you can attract to living near your home to kill the flying bandits....I also believe there are plants and flowers you can grow which will help.

[TDG]

if you just need an insect repellant, you can mix a few drops of essential oils in water and put it in a spray bottle. spray on legs and belly each time before going outside.

you can combine any of the following: citronella, rose geranium, lavender, pine cedar, eucalyptus, tea tree oil, pennyroyal, peppermint, sage, rosemary. for an 8-ounce spray bottle about 25 drops of essential oils are usually enough, but you can safely increase the amount if you need a stronger repellant.

this doesn't help much with scrapes and irritations from grass and other plants tho. i know from experience, since my own dog has a naked underside, even if the rest of his body has a pretty thick coat.

if you need something to apply to your yard to get rid of insects, buy some (food grade) diatomaceous earth for sprinkling on your lawn and a bottle of pure neem oil. mix the neem oil in amounts of 2-3 tablespoons per quart of water and liberally spray it allover the plants in your yard, wherever you can reach. bushes, hedges, anything. it's safe for plants but repels and kills insects. the smell is not so great until it dries, but you can mix in a few drops of any of the above mentioned essential oils to make it smell more pleasant - especially the citronella, which is a rather strong insect repellant.

the diatomaceous earth also kills fleas. make sure you apply it to the lawn when it is dry and you don't expect rain for a few days, otherwise it'll get washed off.

all these things are safe and non toxic, but need to be reapplied after it rains.

hope it helps a little. :)