Flea allergy dermatitis: the most common dog and cat allergy | Flea Control Videos

Flea allergy dermatitis: the most common dog allergy

“Harmless as a flea” may be a common expression but, unfortunately, fleas are not entirely harmless. At the very least, a flea bite will cause an animal to scratch. Because one flea is just a sign of many fleas, animals typically get multiple flea bites, which causes even more scratching.

You may not think a few flea bites amount to much, but they can be a source of your pet’s constant scratching. If this scratching continues, the flea bites can become infected, and lead to a skin condition called flea allergy dermatitis.  A report by CNN indicates flea allergy dermatitis is a growing problem for pets.

Flea bites are considerably worse if the dog or cat is allergic to the flea’s saliva. According to Sandra Diaz, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, the most common form of allergic reaction in dogs is to flea saliva. 

In smaller sized animals such as puppies, and sometimes in young children, fleas can actually cause anemia. The host loses blood through the flea bites and excessive scratching and becomes anemic. Anemia is a serious condition if it remains untreated.

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Dogs and cats can scratch flea bites until they bleed and even become infected. This just makes it easier for fleas to get more blood from their victim, so it really is a vicious circle for an untreated animal.

One effective natural remedy for flea bites, which soothes and heals the flea bites themselves and helps prevent fleas from returning is neem oil. Neem oil is derived from a plant widely used by native Americans. When diluted with water and mixed with vinegar, neem oil can be applied directly to an animal’s skin.

More information about flea allergy dermatitis and natural, safe, effective methods and substances you can use to control fleas is available in Flea Control: How to Get Rid of Fleas Naturally.

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How to Help Pets with Flea Allergy Dermatitis

By Linda Cole

Responsible pet owners know how important it is to make sure their pets are treated for fleas. Unfortunately, some pets have an allergic reaction to a flea’s bite even with flea medication on them. Some reactions can be quite severe. I have a dog that has an allergic reaction to flea bites. Left untreated, a pet will whine and chew their skin raw, which isn’t good for them and can drive you and your pet crazy. My dog has flea allergy dermatitis, also called flea bite allergy.

The first and most important step in helping a pet who has an allergic reaction to fleas is to make sure they are treated with a quality flea control medication monthly. Start treatment at least one month before flea season starts and continue it until at least one month after flea season is over. Talk with your vet to determine which flea treatment would be best for your pet.

Fleas don’t actually live on our pets. Most of their life is spent lounging somewhere in the home. Some people assume that if they don’t see fleas on their pet, they don’t have a flea problem, but that’s simply not true. If you don’t find fleas on your pet at the time you inspect them, it doesn’t mean your pet or home is flea free. If it’s flea season and you have pets, a community of fleas could be hanging out in your home and yard, and using your pet as their own personal diner.

To help a pet who has flea allergy dermatitis, it’s important to treat the pet and the home at the same time and try to eliminate the little pests completely. The best way to control fleas in the home is to have a pest control service spray monthly during flea season; inside and outside. By having an effective flea control on the pet and with an aggressive attack on fleas around the home, you have a good chance of getting rid of the fleas.

Pets who suffer from flea allergy dermatitis are so sensitive that just one or two flea bites can cause them to chew on themselves constantly, and won’t stop even when their skin has become raw. You don’t have to have an infestation of fleas for your pet to be miserable. It’s not the flea bite itself that drives a dog or cat crazy, it’s the saliva of the flea that causes all the itching. Flea bite allergies are the most common type of allergy found in cats and dogs.

Signs of flea allergy dermatitis are constant scratching, chewing, licking and whining. Their skin may be red or even raw from constant scratching and chewing. You can feel bumps on their skin when you run your hand over the area they’ve been chewing on, especially along their back at the base of the tail and along the tail. You may notice an area where your pet scratched and chewed so much, they have a bare spot or thinning hair in the area. They can develop hot spots on their face or other parts of their body, and you are apt find flea debris in the area. The debris looks like little pieces of dried blood because that’s exactly what it is. Flea bite allergy can cause secondary infections if left untreated, so it’s up to us as responsible pet owners to make sure to tackle a flea problem aggressively and use all of the weapons available to us during flea season.

Keep your pet’s bedding clean. Vacuum regularly where your pet sleeps, along baseboards, and move furniture so you can vacuum under it. Remove couch and chair cushions and vacuum thoroughly underneath them. Dispose of the vacuum bag after each vacuuming and if your vacuum has no bag, dump the dirt out into a small trash bag and seal it before throwing it away. You don’t want any of your captured fleas to escape back into the home.

If your pet shows signs of having any adverse reaction to fleas even with flea medication on them, talk with your vet. They can recommend a flea control product that might work better for your pet and they can also advise you on other products you can use to help relieve their itching. You want to make sure to use flea control that kills adult fleas and has an insect growth regulator (IGR) which will kill immature fleas before they have a chance to mature into adults.

Flea allergy dermatitis can drive both you and your pet crazy. Start your fight against fleas before they have a chance to attack your pet or invade your home.

Read more articles by Linda Cole

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What You Should Know About Dogs and Flea Allergies

by guest blogger Susan Wright, DMV

If you think your dog will never have an issue with fleas, think again – no matter how much you try to prepare there is a good chance that fleas will come into your and your dog’s life at some point in time. Flea dermatitis is the most common type of skin disease among pets. While we all do not want to think about our dogs is infested by the disgusting insect, it is better to figure out ahead of time why it happens and what you can do about it when it strikes your dog and household.

Older dog

The Allergy Begins

While fleas can infest your house and dog at any time, the actual allergy usually develops in young dogs. After infestation, or even just a few bites actually, the saliva makes contact with the skin and can cause quite a bit of a reaction to pups that are hypersensitive to the flea saliva. While this allergy normally develops in young dogs it can actually happen at any time during a dog’s life, so just because your dog has matured does not mean you are out of the woods for flea allergies just yet.

Symptoms

Symptoms that your dog may have a flea allergy is first and foremost, itching. You will notice that your dog has an intense desire to scratch himself constantly. Dogs with flea sensitivities may also experience sores and lesions from the bites all over their body and even in some cases dogs will experience hair loss due to flea infestation.

Treatment

The first time you discover that your dog is hypersensitive to fleas; you will discover how important flea prevention is. It is always better to try and ward off fleas on the front end than trying to rid them from your dog and house – they can be very pesky insects to get rid of, especially since they mass replicate – and they can live on animal or human – they can even survive in the home for a brief period of time. Prevention wise, it is important to meet with your veterinarian to discuss the various options for keeping your dog free and clear from fleas. There are collars, washes and spot treatments are available; but make sure you are aware that most kill either the adult flea larva or the young larva – and if your dog is infested with fleas you will need both treatments to truly rid your dog of fleas. If your dog has, a flea allergies flare up, it is important to make an appointment with the veterinarian, as your dog will most likely need prescription steroids, antihistamines and even possibly an antibiotic to help overcome the allergic reaction and any secondary infections that may follow.

Future Prevention

After you are aware of your dog’s allergy to fleas, it is important to keep your dog under preventative measures all the time. This will help reduce the likelihood of your dog having to repeat the pain and suffering of undergoing an allergic reaction to fleas. On top of continuous management, you can also help your dog by bathing him after an outdoor adventure and even applying spot on treatments while in between long-term treatments.

The author is a dedicated veterinarian, devoting her practice to the care of domestic animals. To further her influence, Susan Wright, DMV serves as a dog bark collar expert and has authored books about dogs and their care.

Photo courtesy: http://www.sunnydayphotos.com

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