Dog Allergies and Fleas

The most common of all dog allergies is the allergy to fleas. Fleas feed on your your pets blood and can cause a very irritating rash. The reason why your dog may have such a sever allergy to fleas is due to the parasites saliva. Many dogs are very sensitive to the flea allergen, if so, this allergen can cause a very strong allergic reaction.

Fleas are passed from one animal to the next. Depending on where you lives fleas may only be a seasonal problem as they need a temperature no lower than 65 degrees to survive, although, if your home becomes infested with fleas, they may be able to survive the winter months. An adult flea is smaller than 1/8 of an inch and can be very hard to spot. This can make the summer months a dreaded time for owners of pets that suffer from dog allergies.

A flea bites for a flea will have little to no effect on certain animals, a dog with dog allergies will begin to feel uncomfortable almost immediately. Flea related dog allergies will cause itching, redness and even swelling in the effected area. Your dog will scratch and bite to help alleviate the itch, this can cause hair loss, more sever irritation and even sores. Usually this will occur around the rear end and tail of the animal but can be noticed anywhere on the dogs body.

Dogs with a sever dog allergy to fleas, itching can begin immediately from a single flea bite. As the fleas multiply and being spreading over your pets skin the animals dog allergies will only become more evident and problematic.

Not only can a flea infestation cause sever dog allergies but it can also lead to a flea infestation of your home. Once a professional has determined that your dog is suffering from flea related allergies, you should immediately begin taking steps towards eliminating the parasites from your pet and your home.

It may be very hard to determine if the irritation that your pet is feeling is due to dog allergies to fleas or another skin disorder. Combing your pets hair over a white towel may help you determine if your pets skin problem is to to a flea allergy. While combing your dog check the white towel for small black specs. These specs may very well be flea feces. A fine tooth flea comb can also be used to determine of your pet is indeed effected by flea related do allergies.

How exactly do fleas cause dog allergies? Fleas, like tic and other parasites, live off of their host's blood. When the flea bites your pet for their next blood meal their saliva passes into the dog's skin. This is where dogs with flea related dog allergies will begin to feel discomfort. Aside from the dog allergies the flea itself will cause little to no damage to your pet. The real problems and health risks come from your pet as they scratch and bite the effected areas. Flea related dog allergies can cause your beloved pet metal stress as well as physical irritation.

If your pet is indeed suffering from flea related dog allergies there are many treatments available to prevent irrational, remove the parasites and to keep your pet flea free. Because flea infestations can be hard to diagnose and your pet's dog allergies may not be allergies at all, you should take your pet to an animal health care professional at the first sign of unusual behavior or physical abnormalities.

If your pet suffers from dog allergies, such as, Contact Allergies, food related dog allergies, Atopy or Bacterial Allergies and you are unsure of which type it may be, read this article About Dog Allergies.