What To Do If My Dog Is Allergic To Fleas

A dog flea allergy is the most common type of all canine allergies.

What to do if my dog is allergic to fleas.

While fleas may seem like an innocent insect which only causes itchiness to pets such as dogs it can actually cause quite serious health concerns such as dog allergies which can lead to fatality for your dog. Often a client will say to me but my other cat dog is just fine. Then there s the scratching. Dangers of fleas to dog s health.

You might not have guessed it but cats can get fleas just as frequently as dogs do. In fact flea bite hypersensitivity or flea allergy dermatitis in cats is the most common skin disease there is even a specific species of flea called the cat flea which is actually the flea that is most often responsible for the allergies found in dogs as well. It is often seen that the fleas are the cause of irritation. A flea allergy doesn t mean that your dog is infested with fleas in fact if he is allergic to fleas he will react with just one flea bite.

Of course this is a best practice regardless of whether or not your dog has an allergy to fleas but especially if they are hypersensitive to bites. Signs of flea allergy dermatitis in dogs the most common symptom of flea allergy dermatitis is itchy skin and irritation at the base of the tail although other areas of the body may also be affected. The first thing you notice is hair loss along your dog s neck spine and thighs. The skin is flecked with scabs and hot to the touch.

Most of the time you won t get to know if your dog is suffering from an allergic reaction towards fleas. Fleas and flea allergies are common but it could also be another health problem like a tick bite. Do not use tea tree oil as a flea repellent in cats or dogs. If your dog or cat is scratching itself get to a vet right away says ari zabell dvm a veterinarian and client advocate at banfield pet hospital in portland or.

Unfortunately your dog s flea allergy won t go away so you may need to repeat the above steps frequently during your dog s entire life to keep a flea free environment. You may or may not see live fleas or only scant flea dirt specks of digested blood. Itching will begin immediately and will last long after the flea s have gone. A dog allergic to fleas is a scenario that should always be avoided for your pet.

The type and severity of these dog allergies signs depend partly on the type of allergy your dog has. Further it leads to allergy. If your dog and cat spend most of the day itching scratching licking and then repeating your pet may have flea bites dog allergies or cat allergies. Tea tree oil is toxic.

Fleas and allergy symptoms are similar so they are commonly mistaken for each other and it can become confusing to identify which problem your pet is actually experiencing.