Author: Luke Blaise
Source: ezinearticles.com

Flea allergy dermatitis is one of the most common allergies that dogs experience. What happens is that dogs tend to be allergic to the saliva that fleas produce. Flea allergies tend to be even worse than other allergies because the itching tends to persist long after the fleas have been eliminated.

The symptoms tend to be worse during the middle of the summer which is the height of flea season, but dogs that live in warmer environments may suffer all year long. Flea allergy dermatitis is characterized by severe itching and red skin. You’ll also notice little red bumps were the fleas are heavily concentrated.

Normally these areas over the base of the tale and the rump, other locations include under the legs, groin, and belly.

Dogs will tend to try and chew and scratch those areas very intensively. Eventually the hair falls out and this skin can become very dry and scaly. In severe cases they can develop secondary bacterial infections and the skin can become very thick and darkly pigmented.

Treating this type of allergy mainly revolves around eliminating fleas from the dog and from the dog’s environment. So this could involve also treating the entire house and the backyard to remove fleas. Also if there are other pets in the house they will need to be treated as well.

Normally antihistamines or steroids are given to help control the itching and essential fatty acid supplements are given as well. As always it’s always best to prevent a flea infection by using one of the many monthly flea control products on the market.

Luke loves to write about pets, please visit his favorite website to learn how to compare pet insurance. Also be sure to check out the pet liability insurance section.