Deer fly's affect on dogs.

[Justin]

Anyone else feel like the deer flies affect your dog more than you?
I'm not sure if this is a common thing, but my dog (Jenny) seems to have a great deal of trouble dealing with swarms of deer flies.(Don't we all!)
Not only are they extremely annoying to her, and me, but her head and face always seem to be covered with deer flies. And although I do my best to keep them off of her, they still get 'er and she seems to have a very bad reaction to their bite.
Maybe she has an allergic reaction or something similar, but her face and head will get really swollen, and she'll look like a cross between Cujo and Rocky Balboa!
It also seems to affect her energy level also, and after I give her a Benadryl, things will start to improve a bit, but some lingering effects are still noticeable. I had to abandon a couple of trips this summer because of this. I'd love to know if there is something that I could do to help prevent this. Or maybe it's something that I don't really have to worry about.

Attached are two photos of a "normal looking" Jenny, followed by a third photo of a "deer fly abused" Jenny.

Any thoughts?

Thanks! -J

[procook131]

I wish I had an answer, it just makes me really sad to see the pain in her eyes. Hope you find a solution!

[mwanner]

There's stuff called Bye-bye Black Fly that comes in a tin-- it's about the consistency of wax shoe polish, but it's clear. From what I've heard, it was developed originally for use on dogs. I don't know if it works against deer flys, but it might be worth a try.

[whitefoot]

I have the same problem with my dog, he's also a yellow lab, seems like the black flies bother him more, i would post some pics but i dont know how to do it.
i had him at wakely damm once a yr or two ago and he got so swollen from black fly bites i thought we were going to have to leave, after a dose of benadril he seemed a little better , now i just dont take him w/ me when the bugs are bad.

[backwoodsman]

We use a spray made by Four Paws,they call it Super Fly Repellent.It works good,I think we bought it a Tractor Supply.

[Justin]

Thank you so much!

[pico23]

Yes!!!

My dog gets eaten alive every trip down into round lake.

I have to hit the flies off his legs with my paddle. Of course I get eaten alive as well. I usually wear neoprene socks, but the flies can bite through it if they are agressive.

Anyway, one day I looked down and noticed his lower legs were all black, then I realized it was flies covering them. When I knocked them off, there was blood all over his legs. Nasty.

He and I get it the worst, my wife seems to escape.

But they do seem more attracted to dogs than people.

[Hollywood]

Maybe you could try a tack shop ....... I know you can buy fly repellent for horses... we used to spray it on a rag and then wipe the horse down with it .... dilute it for a dog? Backwoodsman's solution sounds good though. Good luck.

[Dustin]

My Poor Puppy

I know how everyone loves a good thread revival so here's mine! We had to cut our Cascade Lake overnighter short last night due to Cooper's severe allergic reaction to insect bites. Once at camp we noticed Cooper's eyelids were slightly swollen and didn't think too much of it. We tried applying his natural repellent and it just didn't cut it and he definitely wasn't in to wearing my head net. Long story short, a 8 PM it had gotten so bad that we decided we needed to hike out in case his airways became swollen and he needed emergency care. His eyelids were over half shut with an open sore on one and his snout and lips were about 2-3X normal size, lips hanging down, etc. It was bad. Today, after his benadryl treatment his swollen has reduced quite a bit, but he's still about where Jennie was in her picture above.

Wondering if anyone has any additional comments on how to deal with this problem. Justin, how have you handled Jennie's allergic reaction to blackflies?

As of now my plan of attack is several fold; I am going to carry a decent amount of benadryl from now on for emergencies, I am ordering a handful of the Ex Officio Insect Shield bandannas, ordering a few of the Bye Bye Blackfly canisters, and look for a different natural repellent. Any other suggestions?

This is the stuff I plan on purchasing as it will be able to be applied to his brows and snout as a wax like substance.

But there is also this stuff which I don't think I'm going to try.

Any suggestions/help would be great!

[Limekiln]

Dustin,

I've had the same thing happen a a black lab of mine. It was scary.

Black or dark dogs seem to attract black flies more than light ones.

[Justin]

Justin, how have you handled Jennie's allergic reaction to blackflies?

I'm always sure to carry some Benadryl or a similar product,
and I have tried a few different fly repellent products from "Farnam"...

this

and this

also this

My dog Jenny has the most trouble with deer flies, and I mostly just use the "Farnam Tri-Tec14 Spray" which is meant for horses. I dilute it with some water and gently rub it on the top of her head and it seems to help her out greatly.
The hard part is keeping her out of the water..

A photo for ya'...

[8thday]

There's stuff called Bye-bye Black Fly that comes in a tin-- it's about the consistency of wax shoe polish, but it's clear. From what I've heard, it was developed originally for use on dogs. I don't know if it works against deer flys, but it might be worth a try.

I have tried this stuff on myself & I'm not impressed with it. I still have it rolling around in my kayak. Save your money, try something else.

[Dustin]

Dustin,

I've had the same thing happen a a black lab of mine. It was scary.

Black or dark dogs seem to attract black flies more than light ones.

Definitely very scary. I think his thick, malamute-ish hair helps keeping the bugs away from most of his body. With the swarms attracted to him, they end up concentrating on the few susceptible spots he has (face and belly)

I'm always sure to carry some Benadryl or a similar product,
and I have tried a few different fly repellent products from "Farnam"...

this

and this

also this

My dog Jenny has the most trouble with deer flies, and I mostly just use the "Farnam Tri-Tec14 Spray" which is meant for horses. I dilute it with some water and gently rub it on the top of her head and it seems to help her out greatly.
The hard part is keeping her out of the water..

A photo for ya'...

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll give the "Farnam Tri-Tec14 Spray" a try. I hear ya about keeping them out of the water. It is by far his favorite part of being outdoors.

I have tried this stuff on myself & I'm not impressed with it. I still have it rolling around in my kayak. Save your money, try something else.

Actually I already bought a couple tins of it so we'll see how it works for him. If it doesn't then I'll have a couple tins to give away. I was thinking/hoping that it may be more the consistency than the repellent that would help. If it's a thick wax type material and applied to his brows it may prevent the flies from being able to actually bite him. If this is the case, just getting in on him and keeping it on will be a problem in itself.

Thanks for the responses guys.