Do You Know Which Part Of Your Dog Is Most Vulnerable To Mosquito Bites?

With heartworm season just around the corner, dog owners are well aware of the dangers that mosquitos pose to their best buds. Mosquitoes aren’t the only bugs that pose a threat to dogs, though; ticks can spread illness such as Lyme disease and fleas can cause a whole host of skin problems.

When humans spend time in the great outdoors, we often dress in insect-repellent clothing to stop the onslaught of bugs. If our dogs are prone to their own set of bug-borne illnesses, should we be dress them in their own little bug-proof suits when they go out?

On the market there are numerous types of bug-repellent doggie clothing currently available. A quick Google search will bring up everything from vests and jackets, to bandanas and carriers. There are even insect repellent blankets and seat covers!

While these products may seem like a great idea to keep your dog bug-free, their design is slightly flawed. While the products may provide coverage to large sections of a dog’s torso and neck, they don’t provide coverage where dogs need it most: their snouts.

Believe it or not, a dog’s snout is the area most vulnerable to bug bites. This makes sense, as dogs spend most of their time with their nose to the ground.

So do dogs really need bug-repellent clothing? Probably not. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy them if you want to give your dog an additional barrier to seasonal bugs.

If you choose to use inspect-repellent clothing on your dog, its most effective if use it in conjunction with other products, such as a vet-prescribed bug repellent.

Until there’s a product on the market that provides your dog with full-body bug protection, there are a few things you can do to keep your dog safe while outdoors:

Insect-repellent clothing may not be the answer to keeping your dog 100% bug-free, but combining it with other bug-repelling products will do a pretty good job protecting your pooch.

H/t to: Dogster