 | Flea Allergies in Dog--At wits end!? |
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Question: I have a 4 year old pug that has just recently developed flea allergy dermatitis. I treat her monthly with frontline plus but the stuff seems to lose effectiveness by about 15 days. She then will get one or two fleas which manage to bite her. These bites then become huge spots allover her stomach and coat. This last time I counted 50 bite marks. She becomes miserable and itchy and I have to spend every second with her distracting her so that she does not scratch her skin open.I've read a lot about the topic online and spoke to my new vet (we just moved). The vet has not been all that helpful. Online encourages you to treat you entire home, yard, etc. Unfortunately, we live in an apartment building (12 floor highrise). It is impossible to treat the yard--we are not allowed and impossible to treat our living area--there are so many cracks in the walls/foundation I doubt it would do much good. Even better, we live in Hawaii where housing is scarce and fleas live year round.6 months ago Additional Details6 months agoOne option we are currently considering if shipping her back to live with my parents in the midwest. Obviously, I don't want to do this but this may end up being the only option. She never, ever had any flea problems until we moved here. She is miserable and we are miserable. We plan on being here only another year as my husband is finishing graduate school. I've tried a lot of the things people have recommended (switching products, garlic, brewers yeast, etc.). I appreciate everyone's comments though!
Answer: Flea dermatitis is certainly an aggravating problem for both owners and dogs. If you are not having any luck with Frontline, I recommend trying Advantage, and also Revolution, both of which normally have good results.There are a number of human antihistamine products used for animals, including cyproheptadine (Periactin), but that needs to be monitored as it causes an increase in appetite. There is also chlortrimitron, which may work. Discuss these with your vet, and also a short course of prednisone for the itch when the dog has a bad outbreak.Bath is a mild dog shampoo with baking soda in the water. The baking soda is not harsh like dishwashing detergents, and can help soothe the itch.I would go ahead and treat your apartment anyway. It will help reduce the fleas if nothing else. Spray your carpets, the moldling around the floors and any areas where flea eggs can get in and lay.
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