Flies Biting My Pet’s Ears!
Flies are very aggravating to animals and humans alike. Flies
often bite the edge of the dog’s ear, and once a little blood is present, every
fly in the area will be attracted to the ear. The painful bites can aggravate
your animals to the point of weight loss.
Outside pets and livestock need assistance to manage these
pests. Treatment involves cleaning the inside of the irritated ear, healing the
raw ear and keeping the flies off.
- Use Doc Roy’s Ear Cleanser
to remove the debris inside the ear that was caused by shaking and
scratching at their ears.
- Clean the ear margin with hydrogen peroxide or ChlorConazole wipes to get the crusting off. The
ChlorConazole will kill or prevent bacterial and fungal (ringworm) infections
from settling in the traumatized area.
- VIP Fly Ointment will
keep the flies off the area until it is healed. Apply liberally to the affected
ear margin and behind the ear if there are abrasions from scratching. This is
all that is needed if it's caught early. Repeat daily for five days, then weekly
as needed to prevent re-occurrence.
- Mega-Tek Pet Rebuilder can be
used on pets with lots of hair loss or trauma. Mega-Tek is great for cracked
skin or pads, ear margins and irritated spots or hot spots. Mega-Tek will also
help the hair return quickly. After cleaning the areas with ChlorConazole,
liberally apply Mega-Tek to cover the area. It will seal and soothe the raw area
and encourage hair growth.
- Spray your pet with Mycodex All-in-One Flea and Tick Spray to repel flies. It is water-based
(most sprays are alcohol-based), so it can be used on the head without
irritating the ears or eyes. You will need to apply it daily until the ear is
healed, then as needed to keep the flies off. Most topical repellents do have Pyrethrins in them, and this is a way to
add repellent to a wider area of your dog's body.
Animal areas should have fly bait or traps to capture adult
flies before they can lay eggs. Even removing some flies from the breeding
population will decrease the next generation. QuickBayt
can be mixed with water and painted on a fly bait station. The granules can also
be used directly in an open container to attract and kill flies. Fly Traps work by trapping flies in a container where
they die. The traps can then be discarded and replaced if needed. Both methods
have been used effectively in kennels and livestock facilities, even under
decks to keep flies away from humans. You can also spray the area with premise sprays, which provide quick knockdown of flies
and other insects in the broad area around where animals live.
Dogs can inflict lots of damage on themselves just trying to
keep flies off their ears.
These traumatized ears can be very painful to your
dog, but with the right treatment and fly repellent, you can soothe the pain
and heal the trauma.
The materials, information and answers provided through this
website are not intended to replace the medical advice or services of a
qualified veterinarian or other pet health care professional. Consult
your own veterinarian for answers to specific medical questions,
including diagnosis, treatment, therapy or medical attention.
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