Signs & Treatment of Flea Bite Allergies; Flea Bite Dermatitis in Pets

There are over fifteen different antigens (bacteria, toxins, foreign blood cells, etc) in flea saliva and every one of these are capable of causing an allergic reaction in dogs and cats that are allergic to flea bites. Flea bite allergies and flea bite dermatitis are both common problems seen in dogs and cats even though there are many types of flea control products available. There are signs to watch for on your pet for fleabite allergies and fleabite dermatitis.

Dogs and cats that are allergic to flea bites, will chew at the base of their tail and scratch frequently and it only takes one flea to cause hours and days of intense itching and misery for your pet. The most common characteristic noticed for flea allergies and flea dermatitis is the fur will be very thin on the top of the base of the tail and fleas and flea poop can be found on the animal. Look through your pet's fur and if you notice tiny black spots next to the skin that look like pepper flakes, this is a sign of fleas. The black dirt you see is flea poop and if you ever give your pet a bath and notice the water is red, this is actually your pet's blood that has been sucked out and pooped out by the fleas. If a dog is severely affected by the flea bites, you may notice the dog scratching intensely over his whole body and more hair loss in one specific area than in other areas, and the skin is inflamed and very red. Most often hot spots result from flea bite allergies. A hot spot is an area of severely inflamed skin and is caused from the dog chewing and biting in this area constantly. Clipping the hair from around the area then cleaning the wound treats hot spots and oral antibiotics are usually added for treatment.

There are several ways of treating pets that have Flea Bite Allergies; Flea Bite Dermatitis. The first thing will be to give the animal a soothing, therapeutic bath using a special medicated shampoo and conditioner which contain oatmeal or an antihistamine to sooth the trauma to the skin. The conditioner may be left on for several minutes and then rinsed off and there are some conditioners that do not need to be rinsed off.

The next step is treating the animal by using either a topical flea medication or an oral flea medication. You want to use a flea medication that actually kills the fleas and not one that just repels them and one that also has an insect growth regulator in it which is what will kill the immature fleas and will prevent them from growing into adult fleas. Your veterinarian will discuss with you and decide what type of treatment is best for your pet, what flea products will benefit your pet the best. The veterinarian will prescribe medications according to how severe the fleabite allergy dermatitis is; how severe the flea infestation is. If there are other animals in the household, then they need to be checked also and treated for fleas to prevent more fleas from entering the environment.

The next step is to treat the environment for fleas which means treating the inside of the house even if your pet normally stays indoors now and then you will need to treat your yard. The dogs sleeping area will need to be treated too. Wash all of the blankets that your dog sleeps on. Using a product that kills the adult fleas and has an insect growth regulator in it is the best way to go. Next you will need to vacuum your entire house and afterwards you will need to properly dispose of the bag and place it in a plastic bag and take it to the trashcan outside. This will all need to be done at least every two weeks for both indoors and outdoors for about two months depending on how bad of a flea infestation there is.

Keeping your pet/pets on a monthly effective flea prevention program is much easier and far less expensive than dealing with a full-blown flea infestation.

Sources:

I worked as a veterinary technician for 10 years & learned a lot of valuable information.

Disclaimer:

I am not a licensed vet but I did learn many useful tips and information during my years working for one. The above information is intended for educational purposes only and shall not take the place of seeking professional advice from a licensed veterinarian.