Flea Allergy Dermatitis: A Raw Deal

Welcome to yet another blurb on one of the many ways a tiny six legged organism can ruin your day. On tonight’s episode, you’ll learn about the most common cause of skin disease for dogs and cats: Flea Allergy Dermatitis. Don’t take this allergic reaction as lightly as the jovially toned jive you’re reading, flea dermatitis is most definitely a drag.

Flea allergy dermatitis starts with a flea. The flea bites your pet repeatedly causing a stinging itch, the dog or cat responds by scratching or biting themselves raw, and eventually develops an allergy to the flea’s saliva. This allergy then takes the form of raw exposed skin replacing the lovely fur coat that your pet had been cultivating for the entirety of its existence. Unless you have one of those disarmingly adorable/creepy pets without any fur, but it’s pretty difficult for fleas to stick around on a hairless target.


Doggy Dermatitis

In dogs, flea allergy dermatitis will make itself known through redness, bumps, pus filled bumps (postules,) crusty scabs, and the aforementioned hair loss. These signs are most often found around the tail, back, and neck areas; though the back of the legs are common targets as well.  It’s basically the worst possible version of eczema that you can imagine, except it’s in canines. So don’t send your pooch to obedience school with flea allergy dermatitis, they’ll be just as embarrassed as the flaky skinned kid in high school. You don’t want an unpopular puppy, do you? In cats, the flea dermatitis can be just as bad, if not worse. Feline flea allergy dermatitis carries all of the same symptoms as the canine model, but it can also lead to some fairly serious skin disorders. These disorders can include miliary dermatitis which is basically a series of unpatterned lesions on your cat’s skin, feline eosinophilic granuloma which causes highly unattractive ulcers, or alopecia which is a fancier way of saying hair loss.

At this point you might be asking yourself: is there no end to the problems flea bites can cause? Well, fortunately for you, the answer is yes. The fleas have only a finite supply of methods to annoy or physically harm you and your pet. Not only are they limited in their approach, but you can actively combat the problem at the source of flea allergy dermatitis and all of its accompanying health conditions; namely, the fleas.  

Pet Medications to the Rescue

Your solution should be a fairly familiar one if you are a frequent browser of this blog. The answer is, of course, flea prevention through quality pet medications. No matter how bad your pet’s reaction to flea allergy dermatis is, their symptoms are bound to subside if you prevent the flea bites. Whether you’re a fan of spot on treatments or tablets, you’ll be glad you offered your pet this easy and affordable protection that enhances their quality of life, and saves you peace of mind. Pick up your pet meds today.