Please ID these nasty bug bites!
July 31, 2011 1:33 PM   Subscribe

I have a bug-bite ID question for my sister's dog. Red, flat bites from what may have been a small winged ant or fly, in the British Columbia coastal area (Birkenhead, north of Pemberton). Pics inside...

My sister and I went camping in Birkenhead Friday and Saturday night, and this morning noticed her dog got some kind of bites on its belly.

They're not mosquito bites, as he has plenty of those too and they look different. I pulled a couple bugs off, which squirted blood, and they looked like tiny winged ants. The bites are not raised, but red under the skin. They're each quite wide, at least the size of a dime. The dog doesn't seem to be worrying at them, so I don't know whether they're itchy or not.

Pics at this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/65818366@N05/5995422706/in/photostream/

My questions are, 1) what type of bug did this, and 2) does the dog need any treatment? Since he doesn't seem to be bothered much, we're loath to incur a weekend vet visit expense.

(Bonus question: will the mosquito bites be ok? Is there anything we can do to comfort him if they're itchy?)

Thank you from me, sis, and pooch!
posted by Pomo to Pets & Animals (1 answer total)
 
Not much of an expert on bug bites, but I did just return from two months in a bush camp in Northern BC. Another guy I was camping with had a dog who's belly got massacred by black flies.
I don't think there was any concern over a long-term injury from the bites, but the dog did seem to be in a bit of pain from it so he went and got some kind of cream or oil to rub on her belly.
(sorry for the vague details here, that's all I remember)
posted by mannequito at 4:55 PM on July 31, 2011


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