Chiggers in Dogs: Effective Treatments and Prevention Strategies
Chiggers are larvae of trombiculid mites that cause itchy skin infestations in dogs and are found in wooded areas and tall grasses.
Preventing chiggers involves avoiding areas with thick vegetation and using monthly preventative products like fipronil or permethrin.
Treatment includes anti-parasitic medication, soothing baths, and possibly antibiotics or anti-inflammatories if secondary infections occur.
Chiggers are tiny mites that can infest dogs, humans, and other animals. These mites live on the skin surface, feeding on skin cells, leading to significant itching and irritation. Here is how dogs acquire chiggers and the methods to treat and prevent them.
What Are Chiggers in Dogs?
Chiggers are the larval form of trombiculid mites, present in wooded areas across the U.S. and globally. These larvae inhabit the skin's surface, injecting saliva that dissolves tissue to form a fluid pool upon which they feed. This process leads to severe itching in dogs and other animals.1
Chiggers are also known as harvest mites, red bugs, itch mites, heel bugs, black soil itch mites, duck-shooters itch mites, bush mites, berry bugs, and scrub mites, and they all belong to the family Trombiculidae.2
Symptoms of Chiggers in Dogs
Dogs infested with chiggers exhibit several skin-related symptoms, including:
Itching and scratching
Hair loss
Red, raised bumps, blisters, or pimples
Skin rash or redness
Crusty skin
Secondary skin infections due to irritation
What Causes Chiggers in Dogs?
Dogs typically contract chiggers while walking through tall grasses and dense vegetation. The mites attach and stay at contact points, often on the paws, legs, belly, head, ears, and underneath the tail. They are most active in late summer and fall but can be present year-round in warmer climates.
Dogs frequently become infested with chiggers while running off-leash. Working dogs, like hunting dogs and those that live predominantly outdoors, are particularly susceptible. Both humans and various animals can independently acquire chigger infestations from environments, not from each other. Often, caregivers and their dogs are infested while traversing the same chigger-inhabited areas.
How Vets Diagnose Chiggers in Dogs
Veterinarians typically diagnose chiggers via a skin scrape, using a sterile blade to collect skin cells and debris for microscopic examination to identify parasites or abnormalities. Sometimes, mites remain unseen during a skin scrape, requiring further tests like a biopsy.
Having a veterinarian diagnose chiggers is crucial before beginning treatment. Several other conditions, such as mange, flea allergies, fungal infections, atopy, or autoimmune diseases, present similar symptoms but need different treatments.
How to Treat Chiggers in Dogs
Vets may suggest the following common treatments:
Anti-Parasitic Medication
If your vet diagnoses your pup with chiggers, she will likely prescribe a specific medication to kill the mites. Usually the medications used to kill chiggers are topical products containing fipronil and/or permethrin, some of which may be purchased over-the-counter.3
Other Medications
Dogs with secondary skin infections may require antibiotics. For severe skin inflammation, vets might prescribe steroids or other anti-inflammatories. It is vital to follow your veterinarian's instructions precisely and complete all medication courses to avoid complications.
Baths
Soothing baths can help control itching while waiting for medication to take effect. Use lukewarm water to avoid further skin drying. Apply a gentle, itch-relieving shampoo, like an oatmeal-based product or one with phytosphingosine, which moisturizes, reduces inflammation, and offers antimicrobial properties. This may strengthen the skin's protective barrier. Your vet might also recommend a medicated shampoo.
How to Prevent Chiggers in Dogs
Preventing re-infection is crucial. Keep your dog away from areas where chiggers thrive and where an initial infestation might have occurred. Here's how you can help keep your dog chigger-free:
Avoid taking your dog for walks through places with thick vegetation, especially in the summer and fall.
If you know where your dog became infected with chiggers, be sure to avoid this area from now on.
Walk your pup on a leash if they can’t resist a romp in the woods or tall grasses, and try to keep your pup indoors whenever they aren't unsupervised.
Be sure to use a monthly preventative product, such as those containing fipronil or permethrin, to prevent skin parasites including mites, fleas, and ticks. Some monthly preventative products also kill intestinal parasites and/or prevent heartworm infection so speak with your veterinarian to determine which products are most appropriate for your pup’s lifestyle and needs.
Visit the vet for routine wellness check-ups as recommended. They may notice signs of chiggers before they cause skin irritation.
