My dog has fleas and scabby, flaky skin. Is it a flea allergy?

I am so sorry Koda is having this issue. There are other options then flea collars and topicals to help get rid of and prevent fleas. You can use pills. The pills require a prescription so you would have to make an appointment with your veterinarian. Regarding the scabs, this can be a secondary bacterial infection that might require oral antibiotics and/or a medicated shampoo. I would recommend bringing Koda to the veterinarian to have them evaluate his skin. Regarding your home, it can take 3 months to kill the flea cycle and at home cleaning is super important. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Fleas usually cause red irritated skin and hair loss. This MIGHT be from the fleas so you can monitor him for 2 weeks to see if it improves. My feeling is that is is unrelated. I would bathe him in the shampoo below weekly for 2-3 baths and leave the lather on for 10 mins before rinsing and I would add in a Omega 3 fish oil to improve skin and coat health. Fleas get really bad Aug-Oct so be diligent with your prevention. Good luck! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=19121 https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=21564

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Kobe! He looks as though he should be miserable. That location on the back is classic for fleas. I would check closely for that. Some dogs are flea allergic and it only takes one flea bite to cause an allergic reaction (from flea saliva). I would use a good flea and tick preventative on both your dogs. I like the Seresto collar or any of the oral medications (Nexgard, Simparica, Bravecto). Kobe should see a Vet to ease his suffering. You can find low cost veterinary clinics with in some SPCA's. He ideally needs antibiotics and steroids. You can try Benadryl and the medicated shampoo below. https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=18832 https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/ I wish Kobe the best!

Hi there. Thank you for using PetCoach! The only permanent solution to a flea allergy is to keep fleas from biting Rylee. What dogs are allergic to is the saliva of the fleas. Just keep him on good flea medication EVERY month and keep the house/yard treated for fleas as well. http://www.allivet.com/p-1389-knockout-es-area-treatment.aspx http://www.allivet.com/p-8109-advantage-yard-and-premise-spray-32-oz.aspx I don't think the dry/oily skin necessarily goes with the flea allergy. They may be separate issues. I would suggest you put him a good skin supplement like Missing Link. http://www.allivet.com/p-1803-missing-link-vet-canine.aspx And you can use a product like this on his skin to calm it and provide a healthy skin layer: http://www.allivet.com/p-6679-douxo-calm-mousse-for-dogs-and-cats-68-oz.aspx Hope this helps. Best wishes.

The symptoms you have described are pretty classic for Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD). Some dogs are actually allergic to flea bites, similar to how some humans react to mosquito bites and some aren't bothered by them. The best way to treat this is to get rid of the fleas using a good-quality monthly flea preventative. The most effective preventatives are prescription from a vet. Lila may also need antibiotics or anti-inflammatories to treat the skin while the fleas go away (which takes 12 weeks since the fleas have laid eggs in the environment that will hatch later). https://www.petcoach.co/article/flea-allergy-dermatitis-or-flea-bite-hypersensitivity/

Fleas and allergies to fleas can set-up an environment for infection. It's possible that this is complicating the recovery process. The skin will often start to heal once the fleas are gone, but it's worth treating for infection by giving a bath with a medicated dog shampoo (can get this at the pet store). It's best to just give a bath with the medicated shampoo once every 2-3 days, until the skin starts to look normal. It's expected that it will take a month or more until Buddy starts to look normal again, so stick with it and he should get through this fine. Treating for fleas is not just restricted to the host, because fleas can reproduce and nest in the environment and continually cause an issue. Below is a link to a short article that explains treating the dog and environment for fleas: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/ If the skin problems are not getting better, or are getting worse in the next two weeks, then it's best to have Buddy evaluated by a vet, because he may need additional treatment. I hope that helps and buddy gets better soon.

Treat the environment, both inside and out for fleas. then you can do a seresto collar that will last about 6 months to help repell the fleas from getting on him and give a bravecto tablet that will last for 3 months and kill an fleas that get on him. It is proven that good flea control must be utilized for at least 3 months straight to break the life cycle of the eggs to eliminate the problem. His skin does seem inflamed and infected so your vet may need to see him to give him antibiotics and possibily steriods to contorl the itching and clear the infection until the fleas get under control.