Hello Val!
Welcome to the world of Boxers! They are a magnificent breed! I have 1 yr old Sarge who is training to become my mobility service dogs. They are an easy to train breed who are great working dogs! I love him to death!
We use a topical fleat/tick/mosquito product called "Simple Guard 3" from our vets office. This is supposed to help repel everything. Last year I also purchased a dog bandana that was saturated with a type of pyrethrin. It helped alot and I'm looking to purchase another one. I don't remember where I purchased it from but you can Google it and likely find it online.
I also must say that it's important to watch any dog that is bitten by a mosquito. 13 months ago my precious 1 yr old Boxer Bella died from a mosquito bite. Twenty four hours after being bitten by a couple of mosquitos, she went developed a massive allergic reaction and ultimately lost her life.
The day after we were in the lower yard, I noticed she had 3 small mosquito bites but thought nothing. All afternoon she seemed sleepy and just didn't want to be bothered. By suppertime my vet tech friend evaluated her and said it's good to go to the pet ER. Bella just seemed lethargic and when she stood, she would just stare down at the ground. The pet ER did bloodwork and sent us home with no diagnosis/treatment. They said to just watch her.
Twelve hours later, early the next morning, Bella couldn't stand. She also would not move her head but to look down. We ran back to the vet and her white count DOUBLED in 12 hours! There was no infection found though. The vet determined she had encephalitis and by then her entire central nervous system had shut down. We had no choice but to put her down to end her suffering. Devastating isn't the word...she was also my service dog in training. She was my world.
A few months ago my regular vet & I discussed Bella's death because I was worried Sarge could end up with the same fate. He went through Bella's records and found that it was NOT encephalitis...it was a massive delayed allergic reaction to the mosquito bite itself. She could only look downwards because her brain was filling with alot of fluid and her central nervous system was shut down. (Upon her death, there was absolutely no movement in her body...a sign of complete shut down).
Our vet said there isn't a way to detect which dogs will develop an allergic reaction. So he said to watch for warning signs. If you see mosquito bites on your dog...watch carefully over the next 24 hrs for ANY change in personality or behavior. ESPECIALLY if the dog has a downward head tilt. If you notice ANY changes, give the dog his/her correct Benadryl dose and run to the vet. Tell them you suspect allergic reaction and they will draw blood & offer supportive care and treatment. Bella was misdiagnosed and nothing was going to save her life at that point. If our loss saves even one dogs life, it will have been worth it.
I'm very careful to watch my precious Sarge but know that excessive worrying won't do any good. Just go with your gut when your dog doesn't look well.
I'm sorry to welcome you with this news, but I don't want another dog to die because no one knew that this could happen! All in all, the boxer breed is fantastic and you will have a wonderful friend in him. Welcome to the group and ask as many questions as you like!
Blessings,
Kelley & Sarge SDiT
> We are leaving for the beach on Friday (my first vacation in almost 30 years) and will celebrate bothy Tristin's and my birthday while we are there. I do notice Heidi reacts more visibly to bug bites than and dog I have ever seen...perhaps it is just because her hair is so short, I can really see bites. I am concerned about a safe bug retardant for her both at the beach and home. In would greatly appreciate any input. She is fully flea treated and heartworm protected and will be wearing a "tick" collar while we are gone, too.
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