Why you should get a mosquito repellent for your dog
Heartworms
This is a well-known dog epidemic, and as a dog parent, you should be very familiar with it. Normally, it occurs when your dog is bitten by an infected mosquito which transmits the parasitic larva called Dirofilariasis. Dirofilariasis is a type of roundworm which takes roughly six months before it matures into an adult worm. During the course of these 6 months, the worm must have traveled to the heart and started impacting major blood vessels in your dog’s circulatory system.
Now, this is the thing about heartworm, if you discover it on time, it’s quite easy to treat. But if you don’t, it can easily turn fatal fast.

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West Nile Virus
This virus is originally carried in birds, and mosquitoes pick it up by feeding on infected ones. Although, dogs are generally more resistant to this virus than other animals and even humans, there are still some that fall ill when this virus gets to the brain and causes an inflammation.
Symptoms include behavioural changes such as depression or a sudden drop in appetite, postural changes as well (tremors, and constant circling), and convulsions.
An effective way to prevent this virus from infecting your dog is to get an insect repellent for dogs.
What mosquito repellents for dogs should you avoid?
it is best, safest, healthiest, and smartest to stay far away from synthetic products, most of which contain DEET and Picardin.
DEET, for instance, is quite harmful to pets even if it isn’t harmful to humans at a concentration lower than 30%. When ingested, it can cause them to have diarrhea, nausea or even seizures. DEET directly attacks dogs, especially in their central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract.
What type of mosquito repellents are best for dogs?
However, because dogs are very sensitive to smell, you might want to dilute the oils a bit before applying to your dog.
Of the common essential oils, there are six that stand out as best for your pet. Those oils are lemon eucalyptus oil, geranium oil, soybean oil, citronella, fennel oil, and thyme oil.
Things to check before buying
Here is a summary of important things to look out for if you are in the market for the best mosquito repellent for your dog:
- Check the active ingredients: While we’ve already touched on this, it bears repeating that you need to pay attention to what’s used in the manufacture of the repellent you opt for. What works great for some dogs might NOT be good for yours. Furthermore, the active ingredients determine how effective or otherwise a repellent would be
- Know the targeted insects: While all the repellents listed here target mosquitoes, some target other insects in addition. If, for example, you want to also get rid of ticks and fleas in one application, make sure the repellent you go for is formulated for such
- Do you mind having residue? If you don’t then just about any of the listed repellents will work great. However, if you want to ensure that your chosen repellent leaves no residue, pay attention to it. For those who might NOT appreciate why this is so important, a repellent that leaves a residue will stain clothes, rugs, beddings, etc it comes in contact with. And unless you’ll keep your dog outdoors until it wears off completely, you may have a lot of cleaning up to do if you pick a variety that leaves a residue
- Can you live with the scent? While most repellents will already factor in how a typical dog will respond to a smell, it’s important that you find out if the repellent you are going for has a scent you can live with. In fact, some products do even better than giving you an odor you can live with, they either come odorless or with a sweet fragrance
What to apply for the itch
Essential oils such as lavender, chamomile, and peppermint have been known to bring some relief to itching, either by topical application or by administering orally with a diffuser.
In all, just make sure that the essential oil you choose is of high quality and is diluted before application to prevent any form of reaction from your dog.
We’ve included this because there are some mosquito repellents that work great for this situation. So while reading through our individual reviews, keep an eye on products that have this feature if your dog has this problem.