Symptoms of Flea Allergy in Dogs
Most dogs will get bitten by fleas in their lifetime, but how do you know if your pet’s reaction is normal or a symptom of flea allergy?
If your dog has one or more of the following symptoms, you will need to address the flea problem and give your pet some relief. If the symptoms are severe, take your dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible.
Dogs that scratch excessively at specific areas on their bodies may be responding to flea bites to which they are allergic. If the hair in these spots comes off, or appears to be broken, that is an even more tell tale sign of a flea allergy. Often there will be redness and swelling in these areas as well. In addition, dogs with flea allergies might have parts of their bitten skin erode or crust over, and sometimes will even have bumps similar to human pimples. In most severe cases the skin will thicken and darken in clumped areas where several flea bites have occurred.
Body areas that are commonly affected are along the dog’s legs, especially the hind ones, and the tail base. Wherever a flea bite occurs, though, an allergic dog will have a physical reaction. The bite sores themselves are usually circular and deep pink to red. When they become oozing and appear to be painful for the dog, medical attention is necessary. These areas are called “hot spots”.
It is important to understand that the flea bite itself does not do the worst damage to the animal. Most of the above symptoms are actually caused by the dog’s excessive scratching or biting at the bothered areas. Accordingly, topical treatments for the irritated skin, such as medicated shampoos and lotions, as well as actual medicines, like steroids and antihistamines, will only relieve the symptoms caused by the dog’s reaction. In order to truly eliminate the problem and save the dog the discomfort, you must get rid of the fleas that are biting.
Once again, if your dog shows any of these symptoms it is imperative that you get him relief quickly. We highly recommend taking him to a veterinarian as soon as possible. The vet will first do tests to confirm the diagnosis of a flea allergy and then suggest the best measures to take from there. In addition, you will want to browse this site for advice on getting rid of the flea problem as well.
