What should I do for my dog's fly bites and how can I prevent them?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
My dog has FLY bites what can I do ?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on February 8th, 2017
Poor doggie. Visit your local pet store, they sell over the counter fly repellent cream that will keep the flies away. And if there are sores on the ears apply a thin layer of Neosporin after cleaning them with a mild soap and warm water (i.e. Dove).
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on June 16th, 2018
Hi there and thank you for using PetCoach to address your concern. I would recommend using a fly repellent collar such as ( ). For the ears, you can apply Sentry Wound Ointment, which can also be found at PetCo. If the ears do not improve, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, What’s the best OTC treatment for fly bites? And possibly ways to keep them away? Thanks, Jeff
Hello. I usually recommend Farnam's Fly-Off Repellent Ointment for wounds & sores like this. It is over the counter & you should be able to find it at any Petco. Just use it on a regular basis to help heal & protect the ears. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Please help my dog keeps getting bitten by flys I think it started last year then went in the winter but as soon as the hot weather has come it's returned and getting worse there like black spots that full up with fluid
Have Chico examined by your veterinarian. He may need antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. Place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent licking or chewing of the areas. You can use a fly repellant such as SWAT around the site to keep flies off. It can be purchased in most home improvement stores or farm supply stores. Use fly strips or traps to catch and kill flies in the area. Remove anything that will attract flies such as trash, standing water or feces.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
he is getting his ears eat up by flys and their not just on his ears they like go alll around his body, is their anything i can do to help him,and if its possible could there like be anything tthats like cheap or something like vaseline i could use?
Hi there and thank you for using Boop by Petco to address your concern. I would recommend using a fly repellent collar such as ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/fly-free-zone-natural-fly-repellent-dog-collar ). For the ears, you can apply Sentry Wound Ointment, which can also be found at PetCo. If the ears do not improve, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My poor dog's ears are getting eaten by flies really bad. She's bleeding and I'm not sure what to buy or how to help her. I can't bring her inside but I don't want to put something on it based on a Google search and it makes her worse. Can you give m
Poor Coco! I would have her seen by a vet, as that ear looks bad and possibly infected. I think it needs veterinary treatment to heal correctly. I'd make an appointment for her in the morning. After her eat is treated by a vet, there are a few things you can try to help keep the flies off her ears. You can use some petroleum jelly on the outside of the ear (do not get any down the ear canal) to keep them from biting. You can use a spray with the active botanical ingredient Pyrethrum, you may find one at a pet store. Keep your yard cleaned, pick up all the dog feces daily, make sure her food and water bowls are kept clean, and don't let your garbage overflow to cut down on the number of flies in your yard. Best of luck, I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have a question about bites on my puppies skin, the bites appear to be black fly bites although there all over our dog and she’s uncomfortable. Is there anything we can do to help with these and prevent them? She already takes nexguard.
Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Gracie. Yes they do look like black fly bites, but there is no treatment for them. To prevent them, you need to clean up your yard of anything that attracts flies such as dog poop. Pick up all the dog poop, and throw it away in a closed trash can. Keep the trash can closed and locked if possible to prevent flies from coming there. Use a fly spray to kill any flies in the home. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I take care of animals on a ranch in exchange for housing. If i got cash for it I'd take these animals to the vet myself. Odie's ears are black and crusty on the tips. Today they are bleeding and covered in flies. He is severely underweight. He is 2-
Poor thing. That's going to be very difficult to deal with on your own at home. This might have started as a small wound, a bug bit, or poor circulation to the ear tips (not common, but not all that rare either). At this point, it's a very angry wound that is being made worse by flies. I'd recommend keeping it clean with twice daily mild-soapy water bathes and an epsom salt soak (get a cloth soaked with epsom salt water and hold it on the ear for 5 minutes) and in between bathes keep it protected from flies and further damage by bandaging it to his head with something like this: https://www.noflapearwrap.com/ If it's both ears, I'm more worried about a poor circulation problem, in which case it's not going to heal without several vet visits and daily medication. Hopefully it will turn the corner soon and start getting better.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My three year old pit bull has sores on her face, I do not have money to pay my electric bill much less a vet. The sores are scabby and thick, and there was one on her snout that eventually healed but left some small scabs around the bottom, and the
I don't think lesions like this would be caused by fly bites. I would guess that these lesions are either from trauma or from a bacterial skin infection (often secondary to allergies) although it is difficult to know without being able to examine them in person. Unfortunately I wouldn't recommend any home remedies and I think that ultimately she will need to see the vet for a diagnosis and treatment. You could ask around and see if there is any subsidized veterinary care in your area, or you could also look into Care Credit which could help with payment options.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
My dog has been bothered by some kind of small fly-like insect. They seem to be eating the hair around his eyes and then biting him. Both of the skin around his eyes are swollen and red. The skin started to bleed where he was bit. The bugs started o
I would recommend getting Cable to the vet as soon as you are able to. Oftentimes these types of biting flies are attracted to open wounds and so unless his current wounds are treated it will continue to get worse. Once examined, your vet should be able to recommend a specific treatment for the biting insects as well. Cable will likely need some antibiotics to help the wounds clear up. In the meantime, try to keep him inside, away from the insects, if you can. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
I have tried Flysoff,Flyrid and Patrolium jelly to keep the flies off my puppies,is there anything else that might help keep those biting flies off of them?
You can mix organic, raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar in equal parts with water and spray lightly on the pups.
Also, remove any stool, food or anything else that may attract flies to the area. Use a fly trap or "fly bag", purchased from any hardware store or home improvement store, to draw flies away from the area and trap them.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
how can I get flies to stay off my dog , are there any home remedies ?
Hello and thank you for reaching out to Boop by Petco. Flies are attracted to foul-smelling things, such as feces or other organic material, ie fluid or tissue from a wild animal. If Dottie has flies that bother her, she may just need a good bath using a dog-safe shampoo to remove any material or smells that are attracting flies. If you are concerned about FLEAS, a bath may help, but ultimately Dottie will need either a topical or oral medications to prevent and kill fleas. These should be purchased from your veterinarian (as many over-the-counter flea medications are not effective and may actually be harmful to your dog). I hope this is helpful!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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