Treating dogs with flea allergy dermatitis


Flea allergy dermatitis is actually the most typical allergy in dogs. It's the result of a hypersensitivity a reaction to one or more substances in the saliva of fleas. Flea allergy dermatitis is definitely an allergic attack of both immediate and delayed type; itching begins immediately and has a tendency to persist long afterwards fleas happen to be eliminated.

One bite is sufficient to trigger this reaction. Symptoms are worse in midsummer throughout the flea season. However, dogs who live in the house are affected throughout the year if fleas can be found.

Flea allergy dermatitis is seen as a severe itching with inflamed skin and red papules found where fleas are heavily concentrated - within the rump and base of the tail, underneath the legs, and on the groin and belly.

Dogs chew and rub at these areas. Hair is lost and also the skin becomes dry and scaly. In certain cases your skin stops working and develops raw areas that become crusted and infected. In time, your skin becomes thick and darkly pigmented.

Diagnosing could be suspected by finding fleas on the dog and seeing the characteristic skin rash. Look for fleas by standing your dog on the sheet of white paper and brushing the coat. White and black grains of sandy material that drop to the paper are flea eggs and feces. An allergic reaction to flea saliva could be confirmed by having an intradermal skin test.

Treatment: Nearly all dogs with flea allergy dermatitis is often curable through the elimination of fleas on the dog and controlling fleas in the environment. All pets in the household, even those people who are not affected, should be treated simultaneously to get rid of fleas.

Antihistamines and/or corticosteroids are usually necesary for 2 to 3 days to manage itching. A medicated bath could also help to make your dog more comfortable. Pyoderma requires topical and antibiotics taken orally. Seek veterinary attention of these problems.

Prevention: The monthly use of a flea-control product, for example Frontline Plus or Advantage, will kill adult fleas before they bite your dog.

Program inhibits reinfestation by preventing fleas from reproducing. The mixture of Program with Frontline or Advantage should eventually eliminate fleas, however for a more rapid response it might be essential to treat the environment.

Legal Disclaimer

Our website is not responsible for the information contained by this article. Articleinput.com is a free articles resource thus practically any visitor can submit an article. However if you notice any copyrighted material, please contact us and we will remove the article(s) in discussion right away.

Note: This article was sent to us by: Avery Cole at 05132011

Related Articles

1. Golden retrievers are loving medium sized dogs
Golden retrievers are often called goldens for short. Their name comes from the color of their coats. Goldens come in all shades of gold. These dogs aren’t sm...

2. Golden retrievers need to exercise and love to take walks
Golden retrievers are high-energy dogs. They need lots of exercise. Would you rather watch TV than play outside? Do you plan to put your dog in the backyard instead of ...

3. Muzzling and handling an injured dog
Any dog, regardless of how docile it might be, has got the possibility to bite when it is severely injured, frightened, or in pain. You should recognize this and take prope...

4. Treating burns in dogs
Burns come from heat, chemicals, electric shocks, or radiation. Hot liquids may scald your dog. Sunburn is definitely a radiation burn. It happens on the noses of dogs with...

5. Helping a dog that suffers from dehydration
Dehydration occurs whenever a dog loses body fluids faster than he is able to replace them. Dehydration usually requires the lack of both water and electrolytes. In...

6. How to help a dog that was electrocuted
Electric shock (electrocution) can happen when dogs bite electric cords or touch downed wires. A lightning strike is really a rare reason for electrocution, but your dog do...

7. Treatment guidelines for poisoned dogs
If your dog ingests a mystery substance, you should see whether that substance is really a poison. Most products have labels that list their ingredients, however, if the la...

8. Contact and drug poisons can severely affect a dog
If your dog's coat or skin comes in connection with a poisonous substance or toxic chemical, flush the website with considerable amounts of water for Half an hour. Wear rub...

9. Keep antifreeze away from your dog to avoid poisoning
Poisoning by antifreeze that contains ethylene glycol is one of the most typical small animal toxicities. Antifreeze includes a sweet taste that attracts dogs. Exposure typ...

10. Keep your dog away from these dangerous substances
Sodium Fluoroacetate Sodium fluoroacetate, an extremely potent rat and gopher poison, is fixed to licensed pest management operators and it is used infrequently i...