Flea Allergy Dermatitis in Dogs 

What is Flea Allergy Dermatitis?

As the name suggest it is an allergy. It is an allergic skin disorder which occurs when a dog or cat is hypersensitive to flea saliva. When a flea bites a dog or cat it injects it's saliva into the animal. Flea saliva contains many antigens which some dogs and cats are very susceptible to. Flea allergy dermatitis is the most common allergy in dogs and is a very itchy and painful condition. Your dog may not have many fleas but it only takes one bite from one flea to trigger the allergic reaction.

Flea Allergy Dermatitis is most common in the summer because in the northern hemisphere that is when fleas are most prevalent.  In countries with warmer climates it can persist all year round. Cooler temperatures and low humidity tend to inhibit flea development.

What are the Symptoms of Flea Allergy Dermatitis?

The first symptom you may notice is severe itching and inflammation of the skin. The dog will scratch and bite at affected areas often causing damage to the skin which may develop into circular, red painful sores called hot spots. These hot spots can occur anywhere but are most commonly seen along the back and at the base of the tail.

As the condition progresses there may be hair loss, broken hairs, oozing or crusty sores, pimply bumps and general redness and inflammation of the skin. The sores can be very painful. In severe cases the skin becomes thickened and dark, predominantly in the area on the dog's back at the base of the tail. The dog, itself, does the damage with self mutilation due to the severe itching.

Secondary bacterial and yeast infections are common in chronic cases of flea allergy dermatitis and you may notice an unpleasant odor coming from your dog because of this.

What is the Treatment for Flea Allergy Dermatitis?

It is probably quite obvious that you need to get rid of fleas from your dog. Just one single flea can cause terrible symptoms. Fleas must not only be removed from your dog but also from your house and environment so that the dog is not re-infested. Top spot flea treatments such as Advantage, Revolution or Front Line can kill fleas within hours. Using flea collars and insecticide shampoos is generally a waste of time and money as these methods are very outdated.

Tablets for Killing Fleas on Dogs

Comfortis Chewable Tablets for Dogs are a meat flavored tablet that rapidly kills fleas on dogs and then goes on to prevent flea infestations for a further month.  Comfortis starts to kill fleas within 30 minutes of administration and will kill 100%  of fleas on a dog within 4 hours. The tablets are FDA approved. Comfortis Tablets are quite expensive. Side effects can occur. For more information visit the Comfortis4dogs site

You must be absolutely dedicated to the task of removing all fleas from your dog and the dog's environment. It is important to treat all of your pets and your home on the same day.
Read more about how to Get Rid of Fleas on your Dog and in your House 
This article simply explains how you can 'do it yourself total flea control' without the need or expense of a pest exterminator.

Antibiotics and antifungal medication my be prescribed by your vet to treat the secondary bacterial or yeast infections. Your vet may put your dog on a short course of prednisone to relieve the inflammation, however, the only long term treatment for flea allergy dermatitis is total flea control and not allowing one single flea to come in contact with your dog.

Desensitizing shots tend not to work well with Flea Allergy Dermatitis.
 

Other Articles that may interest you:

Itchy Scratchy Dog - Atopic Dermatitis

Mange in dogs -Symptoms & Treatment

How to get rid of Fleas - House and Pets

Tapeworm in dog can be spread by Fleas

This article has not been written by a veterinarian & should not be considered a replacement for a veterinarian visit. The articles are provided for informative purposes only. While great care has been made in the creation of these articles, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or omissions on these pages. If in any doubt whatsoever, seek professional medical advice from your veterinarian.