My dog won't stop itching, even with current Trifexis. What can I do?

Trifexis works by killing fleas when they bite your dog, but they don't repel fleas. If Dallas is still scratching a lot, fleas could be getting on him from the home, or he could have developed a flea allergy from a previously heavy burden of fleas. It is important to disinfect your home when your pet has had fleas. Wash his 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. I would also take Dallas into the vet to discuss the continued scratching, as he may benefit from medications such as steroids if he has a flea allergy.

Poor Dash! Trifexis is generally a very good flea prevention so flea bites are not likely. Those spots could be several things including allergies, skin mites or a bacterial infection. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesions with soap once a day and rinse well (don't wash his whole body, just those spots). Protect the areas from licking or scratching. If they don't start looking better within about a week or if they get worse, have him examined by his veterinarian who may prescribe medications. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Alfie! make sure you are conducting a proper food trial. If the diet does not stop the itching after 12 weeks (assuming you are doing a proper diet trial), it's not likely a food allergy and you should look into thyroid disease or environmental allergies. Call your veterinarian and ask about a medication called Apoquel or another one called Cytopoint which may help with the itching. Best of luck.

Bravecto is generally a very good product and at this point, especially with not seeing any fleas, it’s unlikely that they are the cause of itching. I don’t recommend to apply another product or to give the Bravecto early. Pets can be itchy for many reasons. Itching on the feet can be a sign that she walked through a chemical or plant that may be causing an allergic reaction. Also try to recall if she has had any new foods or treats as that could cause itching too. Lastly, environmental allergies can flare up when our homes are closed up in winter time with the furnace circulating large amounts of dust, dust mites and other indoor allergens. At home you can start her on an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this will help improve skin health. You should also call you veterinarian and ask about antihistamines or if they think she needs something stronger. Bathing her in a oatmeal dog shampoo and conditioner can also help decrease itchiness. Most dogs can be bathed once a week. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Without seeing these bumps it's hard to tell but it sounds like it could be a bacterial skin infection. This can occur second heard allergies such as the fleas but also to certain environmental factors like grass and pollens. Trifexis is generally good at preventing fleas so I will discuss with your veterinarian what other factors could be involved as well as the oral antibiotics maybe needed to clear up her infection.

Probiotics, antihistamines and an omega-3 fatty acid supplement for pets may help but they may not cure the condition. When you can, have Lily re-examined by the veterinarian. I recommend to conduct a proper food trial with a prescription hydrolyzed protein diet. This is the best and only way to accurately rule out food allergies as the cause of itching. Other possibilities include environmental allergies and thyroid conditions. I hope this helps and your situation resolved quickly.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Maverick. This is my opinion and it's shared by many veterinarians out there. Frontline Plus is not as effective as it used to be and I saw it fail with my own personal pets. Some parts of the country might not see this problem but I actually lived in the 28112 zip code when that occurred. I would advise using a different topical such as ParaDefense, Vectra 3D, Advantix, etc to see if those products work better. Remember, Trifexis doesn't protect against ticks so make sure your topical product kills ticks also. Good luck with Maverick.