What's safe to put on my dog to repel flies and gnats outdoors?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Flies are attracted to foul-smelling things, such as feces or other organic material, ie fluid or tissue from a wild animal. If Dottie has flies that bother her, she may just need a good bath using a dog-safe shampoo to remove any material or smells that are attracting flies. If you are concerned about FLEAS, a bath may help, but ultimately Dottie will need either a topical or oral medications to prevent and kill fleas. These should be purchased from your veterinarian (as many over-the-counter flea medications are not effective and may actually be harmful to your dog). I hope this is helpful!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! be sure that Toby is on heart worm prevention which is a parasitic disease from mosquito's. If he hasn't been on prevention he should be tested and started. There are a few products that are license to repel mosquito's: Vectra 3D, K9 Advantix II and Biospot. You can try to rub some Avon Skin So soft on his face (avoid eyes and moth) before letting him out at dusk. I wish you the best!

Hello. I usually recommend Farnam's Fly-Off Repellent Ointment for wounds & sores like this. It is over the counter & you should be able to find it at any Petco. Just use it on a regular basis to help heal & protect the ears. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I do not recognize this type of fly but it is likely a house fly or stable fly. I'm not sure the species you have in your country. Flies do not "infest" dogs but they can bite them. Advantix is more broad spectrum and I do think it would be best to switch to it. I would not be worried though. Flies will not transmit disease but they can bite and cause irritation.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If you have access to the oral flea and tick preventatives (Nexgard, Simparica or Bravecto) they work the best. Or the Seresto Collar (lasts for 8 months). Otherwise I would use the spot on (advantixx, etc). I hope this helps!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Gracie. Yes they do look like black fly bites, but there is no treatment for them. To prevent them, you need to clean up your yard of anything that attracts flies such as dog poop. Pick up all the dog poop, and throw it away in a closed trash can. Keep the trash can closed and locked if possible to prevent flies from coming there. Use a fly spray to kill any flies in the home. I hope this helps!

Even though fleas and ticks need to bite a pet in order for Nexgard to work, it kills the parasites quickly enough to prevent them from causing either flea infestations or from transmitting different tick-borne diseases. However, no product is 100% effective. I think you're being very proactive in looking for repellant options to protect Milo on your upcoming camping trip! Topical products like K9 Advantix II (available over the counter) or Vectra 3D (prescription-based), or Seresto collars (available over the counter) are all labeled to repel new ticks and Advantix II also repels mosquitoes. To my knowledge, no products actually repel fleas. Don't worry - they all kill fleas quickly, so an infestation isn't a concern. I often recommend using any one of these products in conjunction with Nexgard if a high-risk situation is needed. However, since I don't know Milo's medical history, I strongly recommend first calling his vet to confirm that it's safe for him to use one of these products. I hope this helps and that you have a wonderful camping trip!