Is this a flea?! *update: still itchy*

[cloverfdx]

Have you treated the house, yard, their bedding etc?

Some dogs just have flea allergies. Harri does, we keep on top of treating everyone though and making sure bedding and stuff is always clean. If he gets realy bad then it is off to the vets.

[Sowa]

I washed all the bedding, vacuumed the floors etc.

Karen, if you don't mind I'd appreciate hearing what they have to say!

[Jessika]

As previously mentioned, one bite can cause it to flare up. All it takes is one bite. So if there are still fleas in the environment, and/or there is still exposure to fleas (from the cats?), there is a good chance that, eventhough you're using preventative and there are no live fleas on your pets, that a flea from the environment is jumping on the dog, biting, then dying/jumping off because of the preventative.

It will take a few months to completely clear the environment from a flea infestation due to the life cycle of the flea, and the fact that the pupae can lie dormant for months. That's why vigorous vacuuming and bathing of bedding is instrumental for getting rid of infestations. In the meantime, more eggs are hatching, and they're looking for a host until they jump on your dog, bite it, causing allergies, and hopefully dying before laying eggs.

You mentioned wanting to go to your vet, but did you take them? Just curious to know what their treatment was. In our pets we will usually give a steroid injection for immediate relief... but you mentioned you didn't like the side-effects. Maybe they can give a different steroid, or a lower dose? Assuming you haven't been to the vet or they haven't already treated them.

Honestly, if they're still THIS itchy after being to the vet, I would call the vet back and say they're still miserable even after treatment, what else can you do to help relieve their symptoms?

[Sowa]

As previously mentioned, one bite can cause it to flare up. All it takes is one bite. So if there are still fleas in the environment, and/or there is still exposure to fleas (from the cats?), there is a good chance that, eventhough you're using preventative and there are no live fleas on your pets, that a flea from the environment is jumping on the dog, biting, then dying/jumping off because of the preventative.

It will take a few months to completely clear the environment from a flea infestation due to the life cycle of the flea, and the fact that the pupae can lie dormant for months. That's why vigorous vacuuming and bathing of bedding is instrumental for getting rid of infestations. In the meantime, more eggs are hatching, and they're looking for a host until they jump on your dog, bite it, causing allergies, and hopefully dying before laying eggs.

You mentioned wanting to go to your vet, but did you take them? Just curious to know what their treatment was. In our pets we will usually give a steroid injection for immediate relief... but you mentioned you didn't like the side-effects. Maybe they can give a different steroid, or a lower dose? Assuming you haven't been to the vet or they haven't already treated them.

Honestly, if they're still THIS itchy after being to the vet, I would call the vet back and say they're still miserable even after treatment, what else can you do to help relieve their symptoms?

I did take my other dog to the vet. She gave him some type of wipes. I've never heard of them before. I think she said it's something new they're tying. He has a lot of sore spots that are raw now and the skin is really irritated. I'm not really sure yet if it's helping him. As for Clover she said to try the reactine, but so far it hasn't been helping.

[Karen]

Audrey, I will email you the audio files for the show when I get them, the two vets went into far too much for me to be able to take note. But as for Zeke still being itchy, he did mention some dogs are like me, and will continue to be itchy for days - some even weeks after the initial bite. Just make sure he's not chewing so much he gets an infection, if there's continued hair missing, you have to worry about that, and maybe bring out the "Collar of Shame" for a while.

[Sowa]

Thanks Karen

[Karen]

It's funny, he asked if I had ever had poison ivy, and I said, "No, but mosquito bites itch for me days after I get them," and he said it's the exact same phenomenon.