My dog has fleas and is scratching constantly. What can I do?

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Unfortunately Granulex v won't help to resolve the problem. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Scratching is one of the most common signs of fleas for many pets but can also be caused by a variety of other conditions. Fleas are tiny black insects that walk through a dog’s fur. Adult female fleas lay 40 to 50 eggs per day, which can fall off of the dog into the surrounding environment. So many eggs can contaminate the environment, to the point where the majority of fleas present are living in the environment with only five percent of the fleas living on the dog. Sometimes fleas can be identified easily with the naked eye or with the help of a flea comb. Fleas provide telltale evidence of their presence by leaving flea dirt behind, which resembles specks of pepper. In order to differentiate between flea dirt and run-of-the mill dirt, some of this debris can be smashed on a damp white paper towel and will turn a reddish-brown as a result of digested blood. Fortunately, fleas can be treated and prevented at home with a number of different high-quality products, such as Credelio, Nexgard, Bravecto, Simparica, Comfortis, Trifexis, AdvantageMulti or Revolution, which are available with a prescription from your veterinarian. Other good quality options include Advantix II or Capstar, which are available over the counter. Regular, consistent use of these products is the most important aspect of treating an existing flea problem, as well as preventing future issues. Consult with your veterinarian about the best choice for your individual dog. ### Capstar is a trademark of Elanco or its affiliates.

If you still see fleas then this is likely to be the reason for the scratching. Hartz is a bad quality flea treatment, here is the list of the best flea products on the market. Spot ons: Revoulution (stronghold in the UK) Advantage Advantage Multi (Advocate in the UK) Tablets: Trifexis/comfortis Bravecto Collar: Seresto ( (ticks as well) House spary: Indoorex

Hi and thanks for posting! Fleas are one very common cause of skin irritation in dogs and cats. Flea collars may or may not work well. Over the counter flea treatments may not work very well either as they contain ingredients in them that have been around for many years and fleas have built up a resistance to them. Another common cause of skin irritation are allergies. Seasonal allergies are common. Sometimes seasonal allergies can be controlled with anti-histamines and certain other medications from Mia's veterinarian that help alleviate symptoms. Looks like Mia's skin is red and does looks infected. She may need antibiotics from Mia's vet to help resolve.

Looks like your little lady is giving herself some hot spots there. If there is a hot spot forming under the hair then the best thing to do is to remove the hair and cleanse the area with an antibacterial solution. Some dogs require topical and/or oral antibiotics and other dogs benefit from some steroids to stop the itch. Most hot spots are secondary to underlying allergies (inhaled/environmental, food, or flea). If seasonal environmental is most likely. The best way to help her would be to see your family vet to have the areas addressed topically and so that medications can be prescribed to treat any infection and stop the itch. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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.

That looks bad! This scratching can be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If Lola isn't up to date on her flea treatment, I can give you one for her. First, I would give her Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash her bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If she is up to date on her flea treatment, I recommend taking her into the vet for an exam today or tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment.