A Mosquito’s Filet Mignon!

I was watering my back yard the other day and happened to look down at my bare leg.  What I saw made me drop the hose, run inside and throw on long pants without a thought to the 98+ degree heat outside.   Each calf and shin was covered with at least 20 mosquitos.  Yikes!    

Next, I noticed that my dog Abe was jumping around, frantically trying to find the culprit of what seemed to be a fly by biting.  Fleas were not the problem…it was an onslaught of mosquitos at 9am.  Thank goodness I had not forgotten to give him his heartworm medication this month!

 As you know or may not know, Mosquitos carry Heartworms from pet to pet (yes, cats are susceptible to heartworm disease as well).  Even if your pet is an “inside” pet, they are still susceptible to mosquito bites and should be on a heartworm preventative.  If you have an “outside” dog or cat, PLEASE get your pet protected.

Heartworm medication or not there are a few basic things you can do to prevent your pet from being the daily special:

• Change outside water bowls two or three times a day.  This will prevent mosquitos from harvesting eggs in your pets H2O.
• Eliminate stagnant water from your yard.  Water buckets, wading pools, bird baths, wheelbarrows, clogged roof gutters, discarded tires, plastic containers or any water-holding container should be cleaned or emptied on a weekly basis.  We recommend twice or more a week.
• Keep your pets inside during dawn and dusk hours as these are peak mosquito feeding times.

Neem to the Rescue

If your pet does go outside, we recommend to spray them down with an all natural pest repellent such as one derived from Neem and Citronella.  Neem is a tree native to India whose oils, bark, sap, fruit, leaves and gum are used to naturally heal humans and pets in a variety of ways.  For the purposes of this article you should know that Neem is effective in warding off mosquitoes and is used to sooth and calm skin and coat issues such as insect bites and skin irritations.

 Avoid sprays and repellents containing DEET.  Pets are extremely sensitive to DEET and can develop neurological problems if a DEET product is applied. 

Lastly and most importantly, healthy pets are less susceptible to insects, disease and general maladies than are unhealthy pets.  Ensure your pet is in optimal health by feeding the correct diet, exercising appropriately and visiting your veterinarian annually.  These steps will go a long way in PREVENTING unwanted problems.  A healthy pet is a happy one and a happy pet means a content owner!