In this article, you can expect to find information on:
What are fleas?
Causes of flea allergy dermatitis
Flea allergy dermatitis symptoms
Secondary infections linked to flea allergy
Flea allergy dermatitis treatment
We also included a section on the products which will help your dog against flea allergy dermatitis.
What are Fleas?
Fleas are small, brown, wingless parasitic insects that feed on the blood of your dog.
When your dog is bitten by fleas, a small amount of saliva is injected into the skin to prevent blood coagulation.
Causes of Flea Allergy Dermatitis
The saliva of the fleas can cause the most common skin disease in dogs known as flea allergy dermatitis. This can lead to secondary skin infections from the biting and scratching done to ease the itching.
Scratching may not occur if your dog does not have sensitive skin or is not allergic to fleas.
However, this does not mean that your dog is free from flea allergy dermatitis. In fact, a large number of fleas may be residing on your dog without your knowledge.
Flea Allergy Dermatitis Symptoms
Severe itching and scratching are common flea allergy dermatitis symptoms thatcan be observed if your dog is affected.
Commonly affected areas include:
Ears
Neck
Flanks
Abdomen
Lower back
Base of the tail
A thorough inspection of the skin and hair coat is required to determine if your dog is affected by flea allergy dermatitis.
Secondary Infections linked to Flea Allergy
Excessive scratching and biting due to the irritation can create additional problems such as:
Hot spots
Skin lesions
Skin damage
Permanent hair loss
Frequent tapeworm infections can also occur from the fleas carrying tapeworm eggs.
It may become quite severe in some cases which can lead to total body involvement.
Flea Allergy Dermatitis Treatment
Since your main concern is to relieve your dog's discomfort, you should choose flea allergy treatment products that can kill the adult fleas and eliminate as many stages of the flea life cycle as possible.
There are 2 categories of flea allergy products in the market that can fit the bill.
The first category known as insect growth regulators (IGRs), focuses on disrupting the growth of fleas by killing the flea larva and eggs.
The other one known as adulticide, actually works on killing the adult fleas. Both spot-on and oral products are available for this category.
Spot-on products are usually applied on your dog's skin between the shoulders, after which the medication is absorbed and distributed throughout the body. Fleas that come into contact with the skin are killed in less than no time.
Some veterinarians recommend the use of an adulticide and insect growth regulator as a more complete method of flea allergy treatment.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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