Flea Allergy Dermatitis and other things that make your pet scratch
Nobody likes it when their pet is scratching. From mild itching to raw skin from continuous irritation, skin disease can present a serious problem for pets and owners.
I typically approach itching pet cases with three main causes in mind - parasites, environmental allergies, and food allergies. While there are many contributing factors, I like to break it down into these three main categories to make it a bit more manageable for everyone involved.
Parasites
When I first mention parasites, most people think fleas. To be fair, the vast majority of cases that come in with itching are due to fleas, hence the title of this post. These bugs are small and fast making it really hard to catch them in the act of terrorizing our pets. Most of the time, even us veterinary professionals don't see them on examination. In these cases, we search for evidence they've been there - most commonly, this is flea dirt. Dark brown or black specs through the fur that turn a reddish brown when wet. (Flea dirt = flea poo, if you didn't know). Other signs are small scabs, usually over the base of the tail or around the neck. I always remind owners that it only takes one flea bite to cause a serious itch reaction, especially in pets with an allergy to fleas - this is where the term flea allergy dermatitis came into play.
Essentially, derm = skin, itis = inflammation. All-in-all we end up with inflamed skin secondary to an allergy to fleas. Simple enough, right? Well, no. This irritation leads to scratching and scratching leads to damage to the skin surface. This allows bacteria to enter the skin, leading to infections and further discomfort. Did we mention that fleas drink your pets blood? Severe cases of flea infestations can lead to anemia, or a lack of red blood cells.
So now what? Of course, as we've mentioned in numerous previous posts, we recommend year round flea, tick, and heartworm prevention. Talking with your veterinarian to determine the best option for you and your pet will help reduce the risk that your pet is even exposed to fleas. What about your pets who never go outside? We recommend treating them too. It's easy to carry fleas into the home on our clothing and other pets who go outside can easily bring them in as well. Once they're in, it takes 3 consecutive months of treating all furry animals in the home along with heavy vacuuming and laundering of bedding to rid the home of fleas. While there are products out there to treat your space, some are not safe for pets, so we strongly recommend reading labels carefully and contacting a professional exterminator for guidance.
That first paragraph made it sound like there are other parasites out there causing itch that aren't fleas and you would be correct. While they aren't causing FAD specifically, different mange species can cause skin disorders, itch, hair loss, etc. These are microscopic parasites that can be seen with certain tests performed by your veterinarian. Many of the prescribed flea/tick preventatives available through your veterinarian will treat them.
Environmental Allergens
Food Allergens
As I mentioned a few times above, it's important for your veterinarian to examine your pet to help identify causes of irritation, treat any secondary issues like those pesky bacterial infections, and develop a plan for allergy management moving forward. In many cases, we may approach all of these aspects at one time by starting flea/tick prevention (after all, we do recommend all appropriate pets be on year round flea, tick, and heartworm prevention!), a medical option to control itch while treating the underlying problem, and considering a diet trial with one of the prescription hypoallergenic diets. Once a pet is well-controlled, we may try discontinuing a medication to see how they respond or testing small individual foods to see how a pet tolerates them. It is essential that a veterinarian be involved throughout this process to monitor response and determine when to make changes.
With temperatures rising and pollen blowing in the breeze, we sure are seeing more itchy pets lately! If you notice your furry friend licking and chewing at themselves, we recommend you give us a call to schedule an appointment and talk about treatment options!
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