Bug bites on dogs may not be something you think about often, especially since a dog’s fur may conceal the bites. However, dogs can be bitten by bugs just like people. Integrative veterinarian Dr. Julie Buzby explains what types of bug bites are harmless and which might be problematic. Plus, she discusses how to keep your dog protected from pest-induced peril.
Have you ever seen a bug bite on your dog? Especially if you have a very furry dog, you may never have noticed one. That doesn’t mean they aren’t there, though. Dogs absolutely are susceptible to bug bites, so it’s important that dog parents know what to watch out for.
Why worry about bug bites on dogs?
The effects of a bug bite can vary greatly from one bug to another. Sometimes you don’t even know your dog was bitten or stung, or the effects are mild and short-lived. Other times, though, bug bites can cause some uncomfortable or even dangerous problems.
Bug bites can transmit diseases
As you will learn, there are a variety of diseases that bugs, especially fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes, can spread to your dog. These conditions can be problematic, even if the bite itself didn’t bother your dog.
Bug bites or stings are painful and can damage the skin
Bee, wasp, or hornet stings and fire ant or spider bites have the potential to cause pain, swelling, and tissue damage. While it does resolve, these symptoms can be distressing for your dog.
Some dogs are allergic to insect bites or stings
Just like people, dogs can be allergic to ant or spider bites and/or wasp, bee, or hornet stings. If the dog is experiencing an allergic reaction, you may see signs such as:
- Facial swelling, including swollen eyes in dogs
- Hives or bumps all over the body
- Reddening of the skin
- Difficulty breathing
- Collapse or loss of consciousness
- Diarrhea or vomiting
If you think your dog is having an allergic reaction, take him or her to an animal hospital right away for an emergency vet visit. Time is of the essence as severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) can be fatal.
9 types of bug bites on dogs
Dogs and cats are susceptible to pretty much all of the types of insect bites and stings that humans are. Let’s take a closer look at the nine most common bug bites on dogs.
1. Flea bites on dogs
If you think of dogs and bugs, you probably think of fleas. In fact, fleas are the most common external parasite of dogs in North America.
While some dogs may show few symptoms of flea bites, others may scratch at their skin or develop skin irritation. In many dogs, the itching remains mild to moderate. However, there are dogs who react more severely to flea bites.
Conditions associated with fleas
In addition to causing itching and discomfort, fleas are also associated with several other problems.
- Flea allergy dermatitis: Some dogs are allergic to flea saliva. This makes them very itchy, and you may notice hair loss on the dog’s tail, rump, back legs, or other locations. Plus, dogs with flea allergy dermatitis are prone to secondary skin infections (pyoderma in dogs) or chronic thickening of the skin.
- Tapeworms: Fleas are intermediate hosts for one type of tapeworm, Dipylidium caninum. Thus, dogs could contract tapeworms by accidentally ingesting a tapeworm-carrying flea while they are licking or biting their skin.
- Cat scratch disease: Fleas are also carriers of Bartonella henselae, the bacteria responsible for cat-scratch disease. While more common in cats, dogs (and humans) can get sick from this disease. Bartonellosis causes fever and swollen lymph nodes, and in some cases, more serious illness.
- Anemia: Severe cases of flea infestations can cause anemia in dogs (especially puppies and small breed dogs) because fleas feed on blood.
Check your dog carefully for fleas
Knowing how to check your dog for fleas is important. Fleas can be elusive, so just because you don’t immediately see them doesn’t mean they aren’t there. For itchy dogs who aren’t on flea preventives, fleas and/or flea allergy dermatitis are some of the first conditions a vet tends to think of.
Preventing flea bites on dogs
Flea infestations can be incredibly challenging to manage, which is why it is so important to keep your dog on routine flea and tick prevention. This is a case where an ounce of prevention may be worth a thousand pounds of cure.
If your dog isn’t already on a veterinarian-prescribed flea preventive year-round, there’s no time like the present. The veterinary team would be happy to recommend a product that is a good fit for your dog. (Note: It is important to use veterinary products. Over-the-counter flea preventives may be ineffective or even dangerous.)
2. Tick bites on dogs
Ticks are another common external parasite that can bite dogs. They have an anesthetic enzyme in their saliva, so the dog may not feel the actual bite. However, you may notice the engorged tick or tick bite symptoms in dogs, such as a small, raised bump or scab in the area. Infected tick bites may be red, swollen, and painful.
Additionally, ticks are a problem because they can transmit tick-borne diseases in dogs, such as:
- Lyme disease
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
- Anaplasmosis
- Ehrlichiosis
- Babesiosis
- Bartonellosis (cat scratch disease)
If you find a tick (attached or crawling around), remove the tick from your dog and put it in a jar of alcohol. Then be sure to contact your veterinarian about the next steps you should take. He or she may recommend waiting a month or two and then testing your dog for tick-borne diseases. (It takes time for the dog to become positive for the disease, so it isn’t useful to test right after the tick bite.)
Keep in mind that many tick-borne diseases are zoonotic, meaning they can also infect people. (You typically would have to be bitten by an infected tick, as most tick-borne diseases don’t spread directly from dogs to humans and vice versa.)
Preventing tick bites
The two main keys to preventing tick bites are using a tick preventive and checking your dog for ticks after coming in from outside.
As discussed earlier, your veterinary team can help you find a flea and tick preventive that can repel ticks and/or kill them when they bite.
Plus, finding and removing ticks promptly can help cut down on the risk of tick-borne disease since ticks need to be attached for at least a few hours to transmit disease.
3. Mosquito bites on dogs
Mosquito bites may cause itchy bumps on your dog’s skin, which might be hidden under the fur. But the biggest danger of mosquitoes is that they can transmit heartworm disease to your dog. When a mosquito bites an infected dog, it picks up baby heartworms, which develop more in the mosquito before being spread to the other dogs the mosquito bites.
Heartworm disease in dogs is a life-threatening condition caused by parasitic worms residing inside the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels. As you may imagine, this makes it difficult for the heart to work normally. Left untreated, heartworm disease can lead to congestive heart failure in dogs and even death.
Preventing mosquito bites
Unfortunately, there is no way to completely prevent mosquito bites. Plus, mosquitoes can get into your house, so even indoor dogs are susceptible to heartworm disease.
That said, if you are in an area with a high mosquito population, you could consider using a dog-safe mosquito repellent (don’t use human products as they may be dangerous for dogs). And there are ways to make the environment less favorable for mosquitoes.
But even more important is to take steps to kill any heartworm larvae that a mosquito might inject into your dog’s body. Thankfully, there are effective heartworm prevention medications that can keep your dog safe even if he or she gets bitten by a heartworm-carrying mosquito.
Talk with your vet about which preventive would be the best fit for your dog and ensure you use it year-round.
4. Ant bites
In most instances, ant bites on dogs are harmless or mildly irritating. You may see small red bumps on your dog’s skin if ants bite a sparsely haired area. And sometimes your dog may scratch or lick at itchy bites. However, as discussed earlier, if your dog is allergic to ant bites, they can be very serious.
Additionally, fire ants can cause significant discomfort. If you’ve ever been stung by these ants, you know their venom can be extremely painful and create welts or pustules that hurt for days. Your dog won’t know to watch out for ant mounds, so try to keep him or her away from areas that may have fire ants.
5. Bee, wasp, and hornet stings on dogs
Bee stings (or wasp or hornet stings) usually cause pain and sometimes localized swelling around the sting. Dogs are curious creatures, so often bee stings end up around their nose or muzzle. Some dogs have even eaten bees and/or gotten stung inside the mouth. Others may step on a bee, causing them to suddenly start limping.
While uncomfortable for your dog, bee stings do usually get better on their own as long as the dog isn’t allergic to bees. If the dog does start showing signs of an allergic reaction after a bee sting, though, it is important to seek veterinary care immediately.
6. Bed bug bites
Bed bugs can bite dogs, but the bites usually don’t have any more serious effects than temporary itching. Also, dogs are not a source of bed bugs, and bed bugs do not live in their fur the way fleas do.
Interesting note: Some people train dogs as bed bug detectors. These dogs can sniff out bed bugs the way search and rescue dogs sniff out people. Pest control professionals can work together with these dogs to figure out whether bed bugs are present or not, even without seeing them. Dogs are so amazing!
7. Spider bites
Spider bites in dogs are pretty analogous to those in people. Most are harmless, some cause minor irritation, and a few, such as black widow or brown recluse spider bites, can cause more serious problems.
Highly venomous spiders may cause significant pain and tissue damage around the bite. One complicating factor is that you may not see signs of the spider bite if you’re not looking closely. Fur can easily conceal skin inflammation that we might normally notice on ourselves after a venomous spider bite.
If a venomous spider may have bitten your dog, seek emergency veterinary care. The sooner the vet can start treatment, the better.
8. Fly bites
Female black flies (buffalo gnats) may bite dogs, especially on the underside, head, and neck. Usually, there are multiple bites, which may look like a raised, swollen circle with a red dot in the center. (These bites are easy to confuse with the classic “bullseye” rash of Lyme disease, but they are not the same thing.)
The bites are painful when they happen, and the surrounding area may be itchy and irritated. Usually, black fly bites heal within 24-48 hours. But if your dog seems particularly bothered or the bites aren’t resolving, it is best to consult your vet.
Additionally, horse flies, sand flies, and deer flies may also cause painful bites on dogs.
9. Mites
While they may not be what you typically think of as “bugs,” mites, specifically sarcoptes mites and demodex mites, can be problematic for dogs.
Dogs with sarcoptic mange tend to have red skin, hair loss, crusts, and intense itching centered around their elbows, ears, and hocks. Dogs become infected by coming in contact with sarcoptes mites in the environment or on another pet. Scabies is highly contagious and can spread to humans as well.
On the other hand, demodectic mange is caused by an overgrowth of the demodex mites, which normally live in the hair follicles. In mild cases, you might only notice the dog losing hair, but skin irritation and crusting occur in more severe cases. It is not contagious to other dogs or people.
If your dog has sarcoptic mange or demodectic mange, he or she generally needs veterinary treatment. This usually involves using medications to kill the mites and treat any secondary infections.
First aid for bug bites on dogs
Note: If your dog is showing signs of anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) such as difficulty breathing, severe swelling, collapse, diarrhea, or vomiting, head straight to the vet. Do not attempt any home remedies.
If your dog gets bitten by a bug, there are a few things you can do to help him or her feel better faster.
- Remove the stinger: If your dog got stung by a bee and you can see a stinger, scrape it out with a credit card or grab it with tweezers.
- Apply an ice pack: Sometimes the coolness of an ice pack, bag of frozen veggies, or a cold towel can be soothing. Always wrap the ice pack or veggies in a towel, as you should not apply ice packs directly to your dog’s skin. And don’t leave the pack in place for more than 10-15 minutes.
- Ask your vet about giving your dog an antihistamine: Benadryl for dogs or another oral antihistamine can help decrease itching and swelling for some common bug bites. Follow your vet’s directions. And ensure you do not use any products that contain xylitol (birch sugar), which is toxic for dogs, or other active ingredients such as decongestants.
- Apply a paste of baking soda and water: Just like when we get a bee sting, a baking soda and water paste can feel great for your dog. Don’t let him or her lick it off, though, and avoid placing it close to the eyes or mouth.
- Bathe your dog in oatmeal shampoo: If more of your dog’s body is affected, a soothing bath with oatmeal shampoo can provide some relief.
- Schedule a visit with your vet: If your dog seems painful or excessively itchy, or if the area around the bite is looking worse, you may need to seek veterinary care.
Don’t let bug bites bug your dog
As you can tell, dogs are susceptible to all sorts of different bug bites, just like we are. Some are mostly harmless, and others can cause significant problems. Those issues might show up in the short term, like allergic reactions and tissue damage. Or the dog could suffer more long-lasting effects after contracting a tick-borne disease, flea-associated disease, or heartworm disease.
While it isn’t going to ward off every bug, it is important to keep your dogs on parasite prevention. Preventing heartworm disease and flea and tick-borne diseases is far less invasive, expensive, and difficult than treating them.
No “ifs, ands, or bugs” about it, your furry family member needs protection against preventable illnesses caused by bug bites.
Have bug bites caused your dogs any problems?
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