Flea Allergy

It is not out of the ordinary for your pet to suffer from flea allergy. In fact, most pets, if not all, do experience having flea allergies at one point in their lives. Flea allergy dermatitis is known as the most common allergy dogs can ever suffer. This is actually caused by the bites of fleas. The major cause here is actually the fleas’ saliva. Flea allergy dermatitis is an extremely itchy disease and can very well lead to secondary skin infections for your pet.

Interestingly, a pet that is afflicted with flea allergy does not really have that many fleas at all. Because the fleas are so itchy, your pet would groom itself as often as possible, even to the point of an excessive nature. Due to this excessive grooming, your pet can get rid of any evidence of fleas on its own.

So, what are the symptoms that you need to be on the lookout for? Here are the most common symptoms: severe itching, oozing lesions, hot spots usually on the face or the hips, excessive chewing or biting of the rump, back legs, front legs, and the tail. If you notice one or more of these symptoms in your pet, then you should take it to the vet right away, so that the problem can be determined earlier. Of course, these symptoms could mean another disorder because the signs can be intertwined amongst the many disorders in pets. Your vet would have to rule out the following disorders before making the complete diagnosis of flea allergy: atopy, food allergy, trauma, local skin irritation, Cheyletiellosis or mite infestation, Sarcoptic mange, Otitis externa or ear infection, and primary keratinization defects. Thus, it is important to let your vet check your pet as early as possible, so that these other disorders can be weeded out early on as well.

There are actually a number of phases towards the effective treatment of flea allergies. The first phase involves the prevention of the flea bites. This is actually the most important phase in the whole treatment. This can be achieved through the implementation of aggressive flea control. This should be implemented on your pet as well as its immediate environment. The second phase focuses on the secondary skin infections and their treatment. Antifungal drugs and antibiotics are often prescribed by your vet here. Make sure to be vigilant when it comes to the application of these medications. The third phase involves the process of breaking what is known as the itch cycle. Most times, vets prescribe the use of steroids here. The fourth and last phase is preventive care, which focuses on the prevention of the relapse of flea allergy. The use of flea control products should be implemented. Carpet cleaning and vacuuming should also be done regularly.