How can I treat my dogs flea allergy dermatitis at home

A guide to flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) in dogs

How do you treat flea allergy dermatitis?

Since the injection of flea saliva causes the allergic response associated with FAD, its important to get to the root of the cause for treatment and prevent fleas from biting your dog. Even if you dont see fleas on your dog, consistent flea control is essential for treating and preventing FAD. After eradicating fleas with an oral treatment, youll need to treat the skin irritation.

In mild cases, Benadryl can provide some relief. However, most dogs with FAD need more help beyond over-the-counter medication. Talk to your veterinarian about the need for steroids or other allergy meds such as Apoquel or Cytopoint.

How long does flea dermatitis last?

Once fleas are controlled it can take up to two weeks after a bite for your dog to stop itching. If a rash has developed on your pets skin or they have raw, irritated, or bleeding areas on their body, it can take significantly more time for those lesions to heal.

Can you have flea allergy dermatitis but no fleas?

The absence of live fleas doesnt rule out FAD. A dog can experience FAD with a single bite, depending on how sensitive their skin is to a fleas saliva. Some dogs experience a more adverse reaction than others.

Is flea allergy dermatitis an emergency?

Flea allergy dermatitis is not a life-threatening emergency. However, it is extremely uncomfortable for dogs. Severely itchy dogs often show signs of distress and are unable to sleep well or get comfortable. If you notice signs of FAD, be sure to get your dog to a veterinarian as soon as possible for treatment.

What does flea dermatitis look like?

If your dog has flea allergy dermatitis, their skin will appear red, be mild to severely itchy, and may have bumps, crusts, or lesions.

Does My Dog Have A Flea Allergy?

Your dogs scratching way more than normal, and youre starting to notice some hotspots on his skin.

Hes behind on his flea medication but you dont see any fleas on him. So that cant be it, right?

If this scenario sounds familiar, its actually very possible your poor pup has flea allergy dermatitis.

The Dodo reached out to Dr. Ursula Oberkirchner, a veterinary dermatologist and owner of Advanced Veterinary Dermatology in Florida, Dr. Michelle Hall, a veterinarian at Dutch, and Dr. Brian Evans, a veterinarian and medical director at Dutch, to find out what flea allergy dermatitis is and how it can affect your dog.

What is flea allergy dermatitis?

Flea allergy dermatitis is an allergy to flea bites and its actually super common in dogs.

Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) is one of the most common allergies in our dogs and cats, Dr. Oberkirchner told The Dodo. If this animal gets bitten by just one or very few fleas, it will become severely itchy and the downward spiral is then allowed to begin.

An allergic reaction to fleas is really uncomfortable for pets, and its far more annoying than a normal reaction to a flea bite (which is bad enough).

Dogs and cats who suffer from FAD typically are severely itchy and often require veterinary care to help them become and stay comfortable, Dr. Oberkirchner said.

Oftentimes, it only takes one flea to cause a reaction, which means you may notice a reaction but not see fleas or flea dirt on your dog. Even if your other pets are totally fine and you cant spot a single flea in your house, its still very possible your dog has a flea allergy.

It is important to know that FAD is not the same as a flea infestation. If someone has a flea infestation in their home, most animals (and humans) will itch somewhat, and one can often see fleas on the animal(s) or in their environment, Dr. Oberkirchner said.

This is in stark contrast to FAD, she added. In FAD, it is often a single animal that is affected and, typically, the owners have never seen fleas on their pet(s) or in their environment.

Signs of flea allergy dermatitis

If your pup has flea allergy dermatitis, he might show the following signs:

• Inflamed skin
• Bald spots
• Increased licking, scratching and chewing on the skin
• Infected sore on the legs, hind or tail

Most dogs with FAD itch along their back or base of their tail and, in turn, they often lose hair in those areas and develop secondary skin infections, which make matters significantly worse, Dr. Oberkirchner said.

If you notice your dog showing these signs, you should take him to the vet immediately. Theyll be able to prescribe medications that can help him feel better fast.

Treatment of flea allergy dermatitis

Your veterinarian can help you determine the best way to treat your dog if hes having an allergic reaction to fleas.

Some possible forms of treatment include the following:

• Cytopoint: an anti-itch injection that lasts four to eight weeks
• Apoquel: an immune-modulating pill that helps with both itch and inflammation
• Cyclosporine (or Atopica): an immune-modulating pill that targets inflammation

There are some over-the-counter (OTC) medications you can use, like antihistamines, but these wont be as effective as prescriptions and you should ideally use them under the guidance of your veterinarian.

If you choose to give your dog an antihistamine, make sure it doesnt contain decongestants or alcohol, which can be dangerous for him.

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Antihistamines dont actually do much for a dogs itchy skin, so its recommended that antihistamines are taken with an omega-3 fatty acid supplement.

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How to prevent flea dermatitis symptoms

Although you cant prevent your dog from developing flea allergy dermatitis, you can prevent his symptoms by keeping fleas away from him. And the best way to do this is by keeping your dog on a reliable monthly flea and tick medication.

The most important treatment is effective flea control, Dr. Evans told The Dodo. Unfortunately most of the over-the-counter flea medications are no longer effective, so it is recommended to use one of the new generation of flea treatments [to prevent fleas to start with]. These must be given consistently year-round because it only takes a small number of flea bites to create the inflammation that can last for weeks.

And this is important for every one of your pets, not just your dog with FAD.

To help prevent symptoms of FAD from occurring in the first place, it is crucial to use excellent and continuous flea prevention for all animals in the household, Dr. Oberkirchner said.

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When fighting the good fight against fleas, its important to make sure youre setting yourself up for success and that means knowing common mistakes pet parents make so that you can prevent them yourself.

The most common mistakes pet parents make when it comes to fleas include:

Not being consistent with prevention

The most common mistake and reason for treatment failure is not giving the flea preventions consistently, Dr. Hall told The Dodo. Most flea preventions should be administered monthly, even if you do not see fleas.

According to Dr. Hall, consistency is ideal because the adult fleas that you see only make up about 5 percent of the total population of fleas so you need to prevent even the ones you dont see.

Only giving prevention in the flea seasons

Many pet owners will only give flea prevention during flea seasons or the summer. However, in most places, flea seasons are year-round, even in very cold and very hot climates, since fleas can complete their entire life cycle inside the home with us! Dr. Hall said.

Not treating all household pets

Another mistake is not treating all the pets in the household. For example, if you see fleas on your dogs and you also have cats, youll need to treat both your dogs and your seemingly-safe cats to prevent fleas from coming back.

If you suspect your dog is allergic to fleas, dont worry too much about it. After a visit to your vet and a product (or two!), your pup will be healthy in no time.

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Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD) in Dogs

Symptoms of Flea Allergy Dermatitis in Dogs

• Dogs with FAD experience raw, irritated, or bleeding areas of skin or a rash found typically from the middle of the back to the tail base and down the rear legs.
• Loss or missing hair particularly where they have been bitten by fleas
• Hair may be stained brown from constant licking and is often broken off.
• Skin with small red or pink raised bumps that can look like pimples.
• Dogs with FAD experience intense, constant itching and will often bite, claw or groom themselves constantly which can result in self-trauma and secondary skin infection, including moist dermatitis (hot spots).
• Over time dogs with FAD can lose hair all over and develop skin problems such as severe seborrhea, hyperkeratosis, and hyperpigmentation (discoloration of the skin).

How is Flea Allergy Dermatitis diagnosed in dogs?

My veterinarian says my dog has Flea Allergy Dermatitis causing his skin problems. How is that possible when I have never even seen a flea on my dog?

Since dogs with FAD often groom constantly, removing fleas from their fur, you may not see any fleas. With FAD, the allergic reaction from the flea bites can continue for several weeks, causing the symptoms described above. Dogs with FAD only need to get one flea bite to develop itching lasting several days. This also means they do not need to be flea-infested to get itchy.

If you suspect FAD in your dog, schedule an appointment with your vet. Diagnosing FAD will include a thorough history, signs or symptoms, checking for fleas or flea dirt (excrement), ruling out other causes, and in some cases, intradermal allergy skin tests or specialized blood tests.

Other causes of skin diseases in dogs that must be ruled out include atopic dermatitis, food allergy dermatitis, sarcoptic or demodectic mange, other skin parasites, and bacterial folliculitis.

The signs of FAD in dogs are often typical as described above with rapid response to treatment, making allergy testing needed only in some cases.

Treatment Options for Dogs with Flea Allergy Dermatitis

The best treatment for dogs with FAD is flea prevention. Flea saliva from a flea bite leads to an allergic reaction, making it vital to control fleas on your dog as well as the environment. For dogs with FAD, this means year-round oral or topical flea preventives as well as treating the environment, particularly during warmer weather.

Dogs with secondary skin infections or other skin problems due to FAD may need medications including antibiotics, steroids to give short-term relief, antihistamines, supplements, and medicated shampoos.

Soothe your dogs inflamed skin by bathing them in a bath using cool water, unless your dog dislikes being bathed. While this only provides short-term relief, it helps their skin feel better and also removes some fleas.

In severe cases of FAD with flea infestation, supportive care may be needed for dogs with blood loss or anemia.

Prevention and Control of Flea Allergy Dermatitis

There are many choices for year-round flea preventive medications including topical (spot-on), oral medications, and medicated collars. Always talk to your vet to determine which flea preventive is safest and best for your dog, taking into account their medical history and lifestyle.

Fleas only jump on your dog to feed, spending most of their lifecycle living in carpets, bedding, and other nooks and crannies in your home. Remember to wash your pets bedding and yours too (if your pet sleeps with you), as well as throw rugs with detergent and warm/hot water.

Vacuum your home, including the carpets, chairs, sofa cushions, baseboards, and underneath furniture to remove fleas, flea eggs, and flea larvae. Remember to empty the vacuum canister or bag outside or the fleas can crawl/hop back out into your home.

Consider treating your outdoor area periodically as well to help control the fleas. Wildlife and other dogs and cats that pass through your yard can carry fleas which can then hop onto your dog.

Read more:

Why is my dog itchy?

Common Myths About Allergies in Dogs

Allergy Tests for Dogs

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