To do this, you are going to need to commit to cleaning your house at least once a day, vacuuming the floor, and cleaning every surface. With the combination of fleas of different life stages, the cycle will continue for a while unless you go out of your way to remove every flea that may be hiding in the nooks and crannies of your home. Treating the flea infestation in your home isn’t going to be a once-and-done effort. In cases of flea allergy dermatitis, your dog may require treatment with antihistamines or steroids to treat the reaction to the bites. Not only will you need to rid your dog of fleas but you will need to clean his bedding and vacuum and treat the furniture and carpets in your house to prevent re-infestation. As well, flea shampoos may also be helpful in soothing your dog’s irritated skin and killing off the fleas. In addition to topical preventives, some veterinarians recommend the use of oral preventives. Topical flea preventives typically contain both an adulticide and insect growth regulators (IGRs) – the adulticide kills the adult flea while the IGR kills the eggs and larvae, preventing them from developing into adults. Using a topical preventive is the best way to protect your pet against fleas and treat a flea infestation. In all cases, prevention is the best course of action because once a flea infestation develops it can be difficult to eradicate all of the eggs, larvae, and adult fleas. The treatment options for flea allergy dermatitis are no different than for the flea infestation itself. Once a dog develops flea allergy dermatitis it is unlikely to ever become desensitized to flea bites – the dog will always be hypersensitive. Common symptoms of flea allergy dermatitis include biting or scratching at the base of the tail, intense itching, hair loss or thinning at the base of the tail, scabs on the skin, and flea dirt on the body or in the dog’s bedding. Flea saliva can carry more than 15 different antigens and each one of these antigens has the potential to cause an allergic reaction in your dog. Related: My Dog Has Fleas – What Do I Do?įlea allergy dermatitis is not a reaction to the flea itself but to its saliva. Dogs can develop this condition at any age, though it is most commonly seen in young dogs between 1 and 5 years of age. These are all common symptoms of a flea infestation but the symptoms of flea allergy dermatitis, or flea bite hypersensitivity, may be a little different. Other signs of flea infestation may include scratching the ears or shaking the head. Your dog will appear restless and he will scratch, lick, or chew on himself more than usual. To save your pet from the irritation and suffering of a severe infestation, take the time to learn how to treat flea bites on dogs.įlea infestations are fairly easy to recognize because not only are you likely to spot the fleas crawling on your dog’s skin, but you will likely notice behavioral changes as well. For the most part, fleas cause minor irritation and itching, but in some cases, dogs have an allergic reaction to flea bites which can become very serious. Not only are fleas a common problem in dogs, but they are also difficult to eradicate once they have infested your pet and your home. Take a bite out of pesky flea problems, as we go over ways to treat flea bites on dogs.
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