Dog Allergies Treatment

Flea allergy dermatitis is the most common allergy in dogs and cats and is caused by flea bites. It is a very itchy disease and predisposes to the development of secondary skin infections. Adult fleas are blood-sucking parasites that require a host, such as a dog or cat, for protection, food and survival. When a flea bites a dog, a variety of irritating and/or allergy-causing substances from its saliva are injected into the skin. Dogs are not allergic to the fleas themselves. They are allergic to the protein in the flea saliva when the fleas bite them.

In an allergic dog, the bite of only one flea may cause a serious problem and the dog will itch for over five days. Extensive skin damage may result from the dog biting, licking and scratching. Though flea bite allergy can be treated, it often recurs since:

a) Flea eggs may hatch up to 1 year after being deposited in the environment.

b) Most of the flea’s life cycle occurs off the dog.

c) Your dog environment may be contaminated with fleas.

d) Even an occasional flea bite can trigger the allergic reaction.

Dogs with flea allergy have very few fleas because they are so itchy, they groom themselves excessively, eliminating any evidence of fleas. However, a couple of flea bites every two weeks are sufficient to make a flea allergic dog itchy all the time.

Fleas are bloodsucking insects with a life span of 6 to 12 months. This life span is influenced by environmental conditions and can vary from two to three weeks up to a year. The adult flea spends most of its life on the host, while the immature stages (eggs) are found in the environment. The worst time of the year for fleas is from spring to late fall. Warmer climates may experience a more prolonged flea season. Animals residing in southern states may have fleas and the resulting allergic reaction year round.

The abdomen and rump are the most commonly affected areas in the dog. These itchy areas may develop oozing scabs. Flea allergies are often characterized by hair loss around the base of the tail. Symptoms of flea allergies include:

• Severe itching
• Chewing and biting of the tail, rump, back legs and occasionally front legs
• Oozing lesions (lick granuloma) from chewing
• Hot spots on the hips or face, which is severe skin damage from scratching
• Excessive hair loss
• Small red papules with reddish-brown crusts

We can control flea allergies in dogs by taking the following preventive measures :

• Prevention of flea bites. The most important part of treatment is preventing flea bites with aggressive flea control on your pet and in the environment.
• Frequent bathing.
• All bedding and rugs must be cleaned to make sure that there are no flea larvae.
• Frequent vacuuming and carpet cleaning strategies can help remove eggs and larvae from the pet’s indoor environment.