You want more evenings in the backyard with the dog at your feet and fewer bites on your ankles. The tricky part is that "pet-safe bug spray" can mean two completely different things, and the answer changes depending on which one you are actually asking. Sort that out first and the rest gets simple.
The quick answer
When people search for "pet-safe bug spray," they usually mean one of two things.
1. A repellent that is safe for a person to wear around their dogs and cats. Here the answer is yes, and it comes down to what is in the formula and giving it a minute to dry. The Superbloc Bloc Off Spray uses 8 percent PMD from lemon eucalyptus, a plant-based active that the CDC recognizes for repelling mosquitoes and ticks alongside DEET and picaridin. It is alcohol-free, water-based, and lab-tested for 6 or more hours of protection. That makes it a sensible choice to wear when your pets are nearby.
2. A repellent to put directly on the pet. Here the answer is different, and it matters. Do not apply human insect repellent to your dog or cat. That includes ours. Products made for human skin are formulated for human skin, not for an animal that licks its coat. For protecting the animal itself, use a product your veterinarian recommends that is made for that specific species.
The short version: wear a clean, plant-based repellent for yourself, keep it off the pet, and let your vet handle the animal's own protection. The sections below explain why, in plain terms.
Why "pet-safe" splits into two questions
A can of repellent does one job on a label: it keeps bugs off the person or thing you spray it on. But a dog shares your couch, your car, and your patio, so a repellent you wear becomes something your pet lives alongside. That is the first question, and it is about proximity.
The second question is about application. Can you point the same can at the dog and spray? These are genuinely separate safety questions, and blending them is where people get into trouble. A repellent can be perfectly reasonable to wear near your pets and still be wrong to spray on them. Keeping the two ideas apart is the whole game.
Question one: a repellent that is safe to wear around dogs and cats
If you want a repellent you can wear on a normal summer evening with pets in the house, three things matter.
What the active ingredient is
Bloc Off Spray uses 8 percent PMD, the refined active from oil of lemon eucalyptus. The CDC lists PMD among the active ingredients it recognizes for repelling mosquitoes and ticks, in the same group as DEET and picaridin. That recognition is about how well it works as a repellent for people. It is not a clearance to apply the product to animals, and we are careful about that distinction.
What else is in the bottle, and what is not
Our formula is alcohol-free and water-based. It skips the harsh, boozy carrier that makes so many sprays smell sharp. Instead it carries shiso (perilla), aloe, and chamomile, which is why it smells clean and fresh rather than medicinal. For a home with pets, the absence of an alcohol drydown and a heavy fragrance is a practical plus. A dog's nose is far more sensitive than yours, and a lighter, cleaner scent is easier on everyone in the room.
If you like the idea of a plant-based active but you are still cautious about lemon eucalyptus specifically because of the dog, we wrote a separate explainer on whether lemon eucalyptus is safe for dogs. It is worth a read before you decide.
Giving it a moment to dry
The simplest habit for a pet household is also the most effective one. Apply your repellent to your own skin, let it dry for a minute or two, and you have removed nearly all of the everyday concern. Wet product is what transfers. Dry product on your skin stays on your skin. A short pause before the dog climbs into your lap does most of the work.
You can shop the Bloc Off Spray here if you want the plant-based, clean-scent option for yourself.
Question two: putting repellent on the pet itself
This is the part where honesty matters more than a sale.
Do not spray human insect repellent on your dog or cat. Not ours, not DEET, not picaridin, none of it. Human repellents are designed for human skin and human behavior. Your pet grooms itself and will ingest whatever is on its coat, which changes the safety picture entirely.
Why human repellents and pets do not mix
The ASPCA and the American Veterinary Medical Association both warn that ingredients formulated for people can cause problems for animals, and that dogs and cats process substances differently than we do. DEET, for example, is widely flagged by veterinary poison resources as inappropriate for pets and a cause of neurological signs when animals are exposed to it. Cats are especially sensitive to a range of concentrated botanical and essential oils that a person would tolerate without a second thought. The reason is not that these ingredients are uniquely evil. It is that "safe for a person who does not lick their arm" and "safe for an animal that grooms its whole body" are simply not the same standard.
This is exactly why we do not position any Superbloc product for use on animals. Bloc Off Spray and Bloc Off Wipes are made for human skin. That is the job they are formulated and tested to do.
What to use on the animal instead
For protecting the pet itself, talk to your veterinarian and use a product made for that species. Vet channels carry mosquito, flea, and tick preventives that are dosed and tested for dogs, and separate ones for cats, and the difference between the two is not a marketing detail. A dog product can be dangerous to a cat. Your vet will match the product to the animal's weight, age, health, and the pests in your area.
There is one disease worth a calm mention here, because it is the reason vets care about mosquitoes and pets at all. Mosquitoes transmit heartworm to dogs and cats. According to the American Heartworm Society, year-round preventive medication prescribed by a veterinarian is the recommended way to protect pets from heartworm disease. That is a prescription conversation, not something a topical repellent of any kind replaces. We mention it so you point the concern at the right solution.
A practical setup for a pet household
Here is how the two answers fit together on an ordinary summer evening.
- For yourself, wear a clean, plant-based repellent and let it dry before close contact with the pet. Bloc Off Spray is built for this.
- For travel, day trips, or the dog park bag, the Bloc Off Wipes are TSA-friendly and easy to apply without overspray, which is handy when a curious animal is nearby. The wipes are part of The Family Mosquito Protection Pack, which pairs the spray and wipes together.
- For the pet itself, use a vet-recommended, species-specific preventive, and keep heartworm protection on the schedule your vet sets.
- For the yard, reduce the mosquito pressure everyone faces. Our guide to natural mosquito control for your yard walks through emptying standing water and the other low-effort steps that cut down bites for both people and pets.
Handle those four things and you have covered the household without asking any one product to do a job it was not made for.
A note on the 6-month claim, since parents and pet owners ask
People who care about what they spray around pets tend to care about what they spray around kids too, so this comes up often. General EPA and CDC guidance advises against using oil of lemon eucalyptus and PMD products on children under 3 years old. Our own position is narrower and based on our own testing: we consider Bloc Off Spray suitable from 6 months of age. We want to be transparent that this reflects The Superbloc's lab testing of our specific formulation, and it sits earlier than the general category guidance. When it comes to your own family and your own pets, your pediatrician and your veterinarian know your situation best, and we would rather you ask them than take a blanket claim from a label.
Frequently asked questions
Is bug spray safe to use around dogs and cats? Wearing it can be, depending on the formula and a little care. A plant-based repellent like Bloc Off Spray, which is alcohol-free, water-based, and lightly scented with shiso, aloe, and chamomile, is a sensible choice to wear around pets. Apply it to your own skin and let it dry for a minute or two before close contact. The bigger risk is not proximity, it is spraying human repellent directly onto the animal, which you should not do.
Can I put mosquito repellent on my dog? Not a human one. Do not apply human insect repellent, including The Superbloc's, to your dog. Human repellents are made for human skin, and dogs groom themselves and ingest what is on their coat. For protecting the dog itself, use a mosquito or tick preventive that your veterinarian recommends and that is made specifically for dogs.
Why is human bug spray a problem for pets? The ASPCA and the American Veterinary Medical Association note that ingredients formulated for people can affect animals differently, partly because pets groom and ingest what is on their fur. DEET in particular is flagged by veterinary sources as inappropriate for pets, and cats are especially sensitive to many concentrated botanical oils. It is a difference in standard, not a claim that these ingredients are dangerous to people.
Does repellent protect my dog from heartworm? No. A topical repellent of any kind does not prevent heartworm. The American Heartworm Society recommends year-round preventive medication prescribed by a veterinarian to protect dogs and cats from heartworm disease. Reducing mosquitoes around your home helps lower everyone's bite pressure, but it is not a substitute for that prescription.
Is Superbloc safe to use on my cat? No Superbloc product is made for use on animals of any kind, cats included. Bloc Off Spray and Bloc Off Wipes are formulated and tested for human skin. Cats are especially sensitive to many concentrated botanical ingredients, so for feline protection use only a product your veterinarian recommends for cats specifically.
Last updated: 2026-07-06. Sources: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (repellent active ingredients), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (OLE/PMD age guidance), ASPCA and American Veterinary Medical Association (pet exposure to human products), American Heartworm Society (heartworm prevention). Product safety claims reflect The Superbloc's own lab testing. This article is general information, not veterinary or medical advice. By Tanya Lee, Co-Founder of The Superbloc.