My dog has fleas and is itching. How can I soothe his red skin before the vet?

You can try cool baths with an oatmeal shampoo every other day. But there isn't anything that will help with the itch until the parasite is controlled. Cortisone creams will actually make things worse. You can use an e-collar and socks on Simba's feet to prevent damaging the skin (but an e-collar must be used if you use socks to prevent him from eating them!(

I am unsure about the smell without being able to examine him in person, but I think a novel flea product is called for. I prefer oral flea medications, so that if you need to bathe him, or he swims, it will not effect the efficacy of the preventative. I also find the fleas are developing resistance to certain topical products. I recommend Comfortis, Trifexis or Simparica. It depends on your location as to what is best recommended- i.e. including a heart worm preventative, or a dewormer etc. Fleas can be tough to eradicate once they are in your home. It can take up to 3 months to kill all the various life stages. I recommend a knock out spray, and being diligent with laundry and vacuuming. I would also treat him every 3 weeks with his flea product instead of every 4 until this is managed. Good luck!

Poor Shorty! He does sound quite uncomfortable. You can try bathing him in an aloe and oatmeal dog shampoo, or using a topical hydrocortisone spray labeled for dogs - you should be able to find this at most pet stores. These things may help to soothe his skin and help relieve the itching until he can see a vet. He will probably need prescription medication including an antibiotic and a short-term steroid like prednisone to treat the problem effectively, so I would definitely recommend having him seen by a vet on Monday if at all possible.

Poor Max. It sounds like he may have an allergy to the shampoo or an environmental allergy. If you have already tried Benadryl and a sensitive skin shampoo the next step is to get stronger medicaitons through your vet. I would recommend asking your vet about trying a short trial of Apoquel (allergy medication) on Max. You may also want to consider switching flea preventions, especially if the one he is currently on isn't veterinary approved. I highly recommend Bravecto, Nexgard, Simparica or Firstshield (Vectra) for flea prevention. I hope this helps and you can continue the Benadryl (as long as he doesn't have any contraindications to its use- i.e. Heart disease) in the meantime so that he at least has something on board for the itch. Best of luck at the vet and take care.

Poor guy. It sounds like he had a bad reaction to the Activyl. In cases of allergic reacitons you have to get him treated with a steroid shot +/- antihistamine shot to stop the reaction from continuing. Also you should wash the product off immediately to remove the stimulus. I would recommend bathing with a gentle dawn soap and then follow up with a cat friendly oatmeal based shampoo and a hot spot spray from your local pet store. Don’t put this spray on the face area and avoid the eyes. I am sorry your cat is having such a bad reaction. Hopefully this can help alleviate some of the irritation until his vet visit on Friday. This doesn’t sound life threatening, especially if he is otherwise eating, drinking and energy level is good. I would also consider getting his appt moved to an earlier date to get him some relief sooner. Best of luck with Sam and his skin and it’s best to avoid using this product in the future. Topical revolution can be tried the next time or even an oral medication such as Comfortis. Best wishes and take care.

Ouch, poor Rose! Some dogs are allergic to fleas and can become intensely itchy, which can then lead to the development of a bacterial skin infection, which only amplifies the itch cycle. You did the right thing by starting Rose on flea prevention (K9 Advantix II is my favorite OTC topical), but a flea collar is unnecessary. Be sure to continue using topical flea prevention monthly to prevent flea eggs from hatching to larvae and reproducing. With the redness on Rose's skin, it is highly suspicious that she has developed a skin infection, which requires antibiotics for resolution. There aren't any over the counter medications available to to help with her itching or skin infection, so Rose will need to go to the vet. The vet will be able to prescribe the best medication (likely antibiotics and anti-itch medications) for Rose to remedy this issue. I hope that she feels better soon!

It is possible that Zuco has environmental allergies. As he is currently in discomfort, I would recommend taking him to a veterinarian, putting him on an oral prescription flea/tick preventative such as simpsrica, bravecton or nexgard to rule out flea bite allergies, inquire about a minimum of a 2 week trial of an allergy medication called Apoquel if indicated based on your vet's examination +/- a monthly allergy injection called cytopoint. Both medications have been life changing for many dogs with environmental allergies. If Apoquel +/- a topical prescription steroid/antibiotic/antifungal ointment such as dermavet does not alleviate the itching, a food trial with a prescription diet such as Royal Canin Ultamino for a minimum of 2 months may be indicated. Home remedies if you are not able to bring him to the vet immediately can include placing an e-collar to prevent biting/worsening of lesions, a moisturizing oatmeal shampoo such as Aveeno every day and a gradual transition to Purina Derm Defense diet. Additionally your regular vet may be willing to cite a dose for OTC Benadryl to give prior to your appointment if he/she already has an established relationship with your pet.