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Flea bites are a common cause for your dog's itchy skin. It is actually the saliva of the flea that gets under the skin when bitten that causes the itching and scratching. - If your dog is allergic to fleas, he will get very itchy skin and will scratch constantly.
- If your dog is NOT allergic, you'll see an occasional scratching, but this is usually just to get rid of the fleas. But just because your dog is not allergic, does not mean that the flea bites don't bother him!
Does My Dog Have Fleas?
If there are fleas on your dog there will be actual bite(s), but depending on your dog's coat, they may be very difficult to see. When looking for fleas/bites, start at the base of the tail, as fleas like to go there because it is difficult for the dog to scratch in that area. Then move to warm spots like under the legs and the neck area. Also check the face area.
If you don't see any fleas or flea bites, get a very fine toothed comb and comb through your dog's coat. You should see reddish-brown specks which is dried blood and flea feces. If you aren't sure if this is just dirt or flea residue, wet the 'dirt' with a few drops of water. It will turn red if it is from fleas. You can also look at the dog's bedding where you will probably see 'flea dirt'.
Flea Control
Your best bet to stop dog scratching from flea bites is flea control.
- There are topical medicines which repel fleas, some of which kill the flea eggs also. Flea eggs hatch every 7 to 21 days, so unless you get rid of the source, this problem will persist and so will your dog's itchy skin. However, most of these use harsh chemicals. Try natural products containing neem oil, which not only repels fleas and other insects, it also helps soothe your dog's skin.
- As well as treating your dog, you need to treat any other pets in the house.
- You also need to treat your house itself, especially concentrating on the bedding area and carpets. Try using non-toxic borate crystal salts, which kills fleas at all life stages by getting past the exoskeleton and dehydrating the fleas from within.
- Vacuum your house, especially where your dogs spend most of their time, on a regular basis, maybe even daily depending on the infestation. The vibration from the vacuum encourages the pre-adults to emerge where they can be vacuumed up. Change vacuum bags regularly, or put flea powder in the vacuum bag to kill fleas which were vacuumed.
- If your dog has severe flea allergies, you should also look into treating your yard with flea control.
The main thing to remember about flea bite allergies is that your dog does not have to be infested with fleas. If your dog has a flea bite allergy, a few fleas could be the cause of your dog's itchy skin. If your dog is has a severe allergy to flea bites, one bite can cause a major allergic reaction.
Help Stop Dog Itching and Scratching
Try to control your dog's scratching while getting the flea situation under control. Too much and too intense scratching can lead to inflamed and even damaged skin. When this happens, your dog could get secondary skin infections. Colloidal oatmeal baths are a natural way to reduce inflamation and soothe your dog's skin. See Natural Remedies to Stop Dog Itching for more natural ways to help you stop dog scratching.
Whatever You Do, Try To Go Natural
Consider using natural flea control products to treat your dog. With your dog's already itchy skin, the last thing you want to do is put chemicals on it that could stress his immune system even more. If the flea control label tells you to wash your hands after applying it to your pet, how safe is it really for your pet???
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