Mosquito bites are not harmless. These small insects also bite dogs and, as you may know, can transmit diseases that in some cases can be fatal. Are you aware of which diseases a mosquito can pass to your dog? Although bites are more frequent in summer, it’s important to stay alert all year round.
To spot a mosquito bite on a dog, focus on the muzzle, ears, belly, eyelids and lips — these are the areas where it’s easiest to see whether your dog has been bitten. Detecting them in time matters, because in some cases your dog’s life can be at risk.
Diseases transmitted by mosquitoes
Leishmaniasis and heartworm (filaria) are the main diseases a mosquito can transmit to your dog. Here’s what you should know about each.
Leishmaniasis
This is a disease you’ve probably heard about more than once. Leishmaniasis is a chronic and quite serious condition if it isn’t caught early. You can detect it through wounds or ulcers — the result of a mosquito bite — that won’t heal. Other symptoms can include hair loss and dry skin, as well as weight loss or anaemia.
In the most severe cases, if the disease is left untreated, your dog may die. That’s why it’s one of the conditions that demands the most attention. As mentioned, it’s a chronic disease, so your dog may suffer relapses throughout its life. Staying alert and giving it the care it needs will be important for its health and wellbeing.
Heartworm (filaria)
This is another disease classed as serious. Heartworm is a parasite that lodges in the dog’s arteries. The worst part is that years can pass before your dog begins to show symptoms, such as heart or breathing problems, excessive tiredness, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss. Sometimes these signs can be confused with another medical condition, making heartworm harder to diagnose.
Unlike leishmaniasis, heartworm has an effective treatment if it’s given in good time — this is essential. However, the difficulty of diagnosing the disease often makes starting treatment as early as possible quite hard to achieve. If it isn’t detected or treated, it too can be fatal for your dog, so you know: watch out for mosquitoes!
Now that you know which diseases a mosquito can transmit to your dog, you can help prevent them by fitting mosquito nets at home, avoiding walks during the hottest hours or in areas where you know mosquitoes are present, and using the antiparasitic repellents, pipettes or collars recommended by your vet. And taking out good veterinary insurance means that, if your dog does fall ill, cost won’t be an added worry.
