Flea Allergies In Dogs

The modern dog owner knows how important it is to treat a dog with flea allergies. It's unfortunate that some dogs suffer a lot when bitten by fleas which do not get healed even by medications. Some allergic reactions can be very serious, but in most cases will not fatal for the dog. After getting infected, if the allergies are left untreated, the pet will chew and whine its skin raw. The condition of Flea Allergy is also known as flea allergy dermatitis or flea bite allergy.

What Should I Do If My Dog Is Suffering From Flea Allergy

The first and most crucial step will be to make sure that the dog gets quality flea medication every month. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, the owner needs to start the treatment a month before the flea season starts, and continue at least one month after the flea season gets over. The owner should consult a veterinarian and take proper guidance on this issue.

Fleas don’t live on the pets, and while some people assume that if they don’t see fleas on the pet’s coat, there is not any flea infection which is not true. The fact is if it’s a flea season, there is a possibility that fleas could be lurking around and can readily affect the dog.

The Appearance & Detection of Flea Allergy - Signs & Symptoms

Appearance

Dog fleas are a type of parasite which thrives on the dog coat, and closely resembles the cat fleas known as Ctenophalides felis which can live on various kind of animals across the world. The Ctenophalides felis can live without food for several months, but the female fleas need blood before they can lay eggs.

Adult fleas play it quickly and hide in the dog’s fur. They have six legs in total and are there in red and brown colors. They can jump great heights irrespective of them having no wings. So the owner should check the dog’s coat carefully as the flea can jump off and land on the skin or hair of the owner. Because of their small size, the owner can easily spot what they call as flea dirt on the surface of the dog’s coat.

Flea dirt is feces of the fleas and looks like small grains of pepper. Diagnosis becomes easy for dogs with light color fur, but detection becomes quite difficult in case the dog has a dark color fur. To confirm that it’s a flea allergy, the owner needs to comb the hair of the dog thoroughly. There are possibilities that after pulling out the comb, the owner may find dirt or even some adult fleas.

Detection

Flea allergies appear as small red lesions and sometimes can be difficult to detect as these bites look like regular insect bites. One significant distinction between regular insect bites and flea bites is that the flea will bite during the daytime and can be seen as clusters of bites. Again fleas clamp on the surface of the coat for a significant period, and elevation of the bite area is generally not the case. The most common places of flea bites are the groin area, the hind legs, and in areas like the ribs and the tail.

If the dog constantly scratching, can be a sign of flea bite? 

Dogs are allergic to flea saliva which is the primary cause of itching in dogs. Some will not show the sign of itching. The owner should remember that just because the dog isn’t licking, itching or chewing doesn't mean that the dog may not be suffering from flea allergies. Flea allergy or Flea Allergic Dermatitis can affect any breed beyond one year of age.

Other Signs Of Flea Allergy

  1. A rash or bleeding area on the dog’s skin, especially in areas such as the back of the legs, or the stomach areas.
  2. Hair loss especially in areas where the bites happened.
  3. Small raised bumps in the color of red and pink which may look like pimples.
  4. Constant clawing and grooming.

Controlling The Outbreak of Fleas

Breaking the cycle

It means getting rid of the fleas. Though according to research fleas are most common in warmer months, they can live the entire year when indoors. Once fleas start laying eggs, new fleas hatch, and when they become adult they again lay eggs. This cycle continuously goes on and means that the dog is constantly exposing itself. Using a flea preventive medication with a year-round treatment can break the cycle and prevent allergic reactions.

Household Cleaning

Well, providing effective medications will be winning half the battle as fleas don’t live on animals. Instead, they live on the carpets, bedding and other surfaces of the house. That way it is critical to clean these things correctly. Vacuuming the house correctly is a great option, especially in beforementioned places. After vacuuming, the owner should empty the vacuum bag. Make sure to do this outside, or else fleas can get back into their hiding spots.

Consider using a flea spray on the carpets and the upholstery. The owner will have to make sure that the pets are away while the owner is using the flea spray. Again make sure that the dog does not loiter in the sprayed area until that area dries up.

Treatments For Flea Allergy

The most crucial aspect of treatment is to reduce the number of flea bites. There are some highly effective medications or products like Bravecto, Catego, Vectra, Advantage, Revolution, Frontline Plus, Cheristin and Activil that effectively works against this problem. Medications that are designed to work for the dogs should not be applied to the cats, and vice versa. Except for the product with the name of Revolution, which the skin directly absorbs.

Bravecto, NexGard, Trifexis, and Comfortis are oral tablets. The bloodstream directly absorbs them and works very quickly to kill flea allergies throughout the entire treatment process.

Below Are Some Points As Home Remedies To Avoid Flea Allergies

  1. Increase the number of fatty acids
  2. Try Probiotics
  3. Focus on cleanliness
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