By Linda Cole
Responsible pet owners know how important it is to make sure their pets are treated for fleas. Unfortunately, some pets have an allergic reaction to a flea's bite even with flea medication on them. Some reactions can be quite severe. I have a dog that has an allergic reaction to flea bites. Left untreated, a pet will whine and chew their skin raw, which isn't good for them and can drive you and your pet crazy. My dog has flea allergy dermatitis, also called flea bite allergy.
The first and most important step in helping a pet who has an allergic reaction to fleas is to make sure they are treated with a quality flea control medication monthly. Start treatment at least one month before flea season starts and continue it until at least one month after flea season is over. Talk with your vet to determine which flea treatment would be best for your pet.
Fleas don't actually live on our pets. Most of their life is spent lounging somewhere in the home. Some people assume that if they don't see fleas on their pet, they don't have a flea problem, but that's simply not true. If you don't find fleas on your pet at the time you inspect them, it doesn't mean your pet or home is flea free. If it's flea season and you have pets, a community of fleas could be hanging out in your home and yard, and using your pet as their own personal diner.
To help a pet who has flea allergy dermatitis, it's important to treat the pet and the home at the same time and try to eliminate the little pests completely. The best way to control fleas in the home is to have a pest control service spray monthly during flea season; inside and outside. By having an effective flea control on the pet and with an aggressive attack on fleas around the home, you have a good chance of getting rid of the fleas.
Pets who suffer from flea allergy dermatitis are so sensitive that just one or two flea bites can cause them to chew on themselves constantly, and won’t stop even when their skin has become raw. You don't have to have an infestation of fleas for your pet to be miserable. It's not the flea bite itself that drives a dog or cat crazy, it's the saliva of the flea that causes all the itching. Flea bite allergies are the most common type of allergy found in cats and dogs.
Signs of flea allergy dermatitis are constant scratching, chewing, licking and whining. Their skin may be red or even raw from constant scratching and chewing. You can feel bumps on their skin when you run your hand over the area they've been chewing on, especially along their back at the base of the tail and along the tail. You may notice an area where your pet scratched and chewed so much, they have a bare spot or thinning hair in the area. They can develop hot spots on their face or other parts of their body, and you are apt find flea debris in the area. The debris looks like little pieces of dried blood because that's exactly what it is. Flea bite allergy can cause secondary infections if left untreated, so it's up to us as responsible pet owners to make sure to tackle a flea problem aggressively and use all of the weapons available to us during flea season.
Keep your pet’s bedding clean. Vacuum regularly where your pet sleeps, along baseboards, and move furniture so you can vacuum under it. Remove couch and chair cushions and vacuum thoroughly underneath them. Dispose of the vacuum bag after each vacuuming and if your vacuum has no bag, dump the dirt out into a small trash bag and seal it before throwing it away. You don't want any of your captured fleas to escape back into the home.
If your pet shows signs of having any adverse reaction to fleas even with flea medication on them, talk with your vet. They can recommend a flea control product that might work better for your pet and they can also advise you on other products you can use to help relieve their itching. You want to make sure to use flea control that kills adult fleas and has an insect growth regulator (IGR) which will kill immature fleas before they have a chance to mature into adults.
Flea allergy dermatitis can drive both you and your pet crazy. Start your fight against fleas before they have a chance to attack your pet or invade your home.
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