There is a breeder/boarding facility owner here who swears by Wondercide (cedar oil based repellent) for her animals and herself. The company claims it's safe for pretty much everything. I've had mixed results using it personally.
I'm seeing mixed reviews on Amazon. Great for fleas, not so great for mosquitos. That's a shame because looking at the ingredients I would think it was safe, too, but $30 a bottle is a little steep!There is a breeder/boarding facility owner here who swears by Wondercide (cedar oil based repellent) for her animals and herself. The company claims it's safe for pretty much everything. I've had mixed results using it personally.
I use Frontline on him, but it seems to do nothing to keep mosquitos and flies at bay. Does wonders on any ticks that climb on, but those flying bugs seem unfazed. I do have Citronella essential oil, so perhaps I'll try to fashion a wipe or something from that.Can she tolerate spot on flea and tick meds (like Frontline etc.)? If so, Advantix 2 and Vectra 3D (cannot be used on cats) also repel very well. Most spot ons KILL but do not REPEL. However, some dogs cannot tolerate spot ons.
That said, I will also use Bio Spot (spray for dogs) or Wipe (citronella based fly repellent for horses and dogs) as a fresh light wipe on just before going out in really infested situations. With "Wipe" (Farnum?) you keep the application rag in a jar that is sealed (I used a canning jar) and you refresh the rag each time you go out with a little dumped on from the can (I am not explaining this well). It has a citronella smell. I use it on ears, top of head and under belly with a light going over on top just to keep stuff away. I like Wipe more than BioSpot and I only use it lightly (especially if I am also using a spot on).
There is also SWAT that come in a can and is also labeled for dogs (as I recall) but I rarely used it (only around wounds on horses).
I have used Deep Woods Off sprayed in my hand and wiped on as well.
I am so, so, sorry for my horrible netiquette, but KITTIES!!!!!![1].....
I cared for a feral cat colony for a very short time and it was intense. I'm glad your kitties are far, far away from the city. Mine were also given small notches on their ears after being neutered and vaccinated so that other caregivers would know who had already been trapped and released.
If you begin giving them kibble, you will have to commit to continuing because they will become lazy, assume you are a force of nature that has changed in their favour, and neglect what they perceive as obsolete hunting education for their young. It gets expensive. If you choose to do this, be sure to buy 25 or 40 lb bags of kibble or you will be making many, many emergency runs to the feed store.
Not all dogs can tolerate heartworm meds so this is a very useful thread. Thank you for posting.
[1] I love my new dogs, but was a die hard "cat person" for over 30 years; no judgement, just sharing kitty info inappropriately. < mea culpa >
I have made this mosquito spray for my dogs and it definitely does help for mosquitos and flies. I haven't tried any other products so I don't know how good it would compare to others.
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2013/01/lemon-safe-natural-misquito-repellent.html?m=1
Yeah, my vet did mention the ones that repel and kill and recommended them as better than Frontline, but I'm in the same situation that I purchased a full year's supply of Frontline just two weeks before and had already opened the box, sooooo I'm using it.Frontline kills, but the tick must bite to die. It does not repel.
Advantix II and Vectra 3D REPEL and kill.
I have been using Advantix II for about 2 years now. I will switch to Vectra 3D when I run out of Advantix.. and run that for a couple of years.
As to the cats.. well you inherited them. Maybe you can find a local organization to TNVR for you.
Sound like you bought a fine place.
Yes, that's the one I've tried and it does work. It might depend on how bad your mosquito/fly problem really is, but it's cheap to make and tryThe instructions to make a lemon spray? That one works?
Ugh, that sounds awful :-(I don't know if that's exactly safe for dogs, but he looks so miserable with an entire swarm of mosquitos hanging off his lips, I did it anyway.
They bite right through fabric, unfortunately. Anything heavy enough to deter mosquitos would be far too hot. I wish I could get away with spraying it only on spots he can't really lick, but the mosquitos will attack any spot that isn't slathered in DEET. And then if you do spray it on your entire body, they attack your eyeballs.Ugh, that sounds awful :-(
I think it's mostly unsafe because they will ingest it by licking it off. As far as it absorbing into the skin - well it's not really good for us humans either.
Depending on how hot it is outside, you could put a longer-sleeved jacket on him to keep them off his main body at least.
I've noticed that, too. Mosquitos used to never bother me when I lived on my parents' farm, and now they'll cover me if I let them. Natural repellents worked on those mosquitos, too, but here they don't. I've read there are different varieties that can be repelled by different things, and unfortunately these mosquitos are only repelled by DEET.That sucks! I'm in the same boat where nothing but DEET works for me. I have found topical stuff like Frontline and Advantix to repel mosquitoes for dogs. And I've noticed, like people, some dogs attract mozzies and others don't. I went on a pretty dreadful (in terms of mozzies) hike a couple years ago. There were a few dogs present. Sor was the only one who was covered in mozzies and they didn't seem to bother the other dogs. To my knowledge, none of the dogs had repellents on. Weird.