My dog scratches her tail, losing hair. Will salmon oil help flea itch?

Question

I bought Lucy the Seresto flea collar. I live in SC on coast and have terrible fleas in Summer. I bathed her before putting collar on, only to discover she had minimum fleas. She continues to put her tailbone area under the bed rail and commence scratching. Sometimes so bad she whines but there is no raw spot or blood. The area is losing some hair and is pink. I was thinking of buying the Alaskan Salmon oil for her food daily. The reviews were good for pretty coates and itching. Will this help? Pet's info: Dog | Kishu Ken | Female | spayed | 50 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Poor Lucy! In my experience, salmon oil can be helpful for mildly flaky skin or a dry coat, but is not likely to help much with significant itching like this. You didn't mention whether or not you did go ahead and put the Seresto collar on - but if not, I would definitely recommend doing this. If Lucy has flea allergies (which is very likely if she is itching around her lower back and tail base), she doesn't need to have very many fleas to cause a problem - even one or two fleas is enough to keep the allergic reaction going, so she definitely needs to be on a good quality flea control medication. If she is already wearing her Seresto collar and the itching has not improved, I would recommend taking her to see a vet sometime within the next few days - many dogs with skin allergies like this need a short-term course of an oral steroid like prednisone to get their itching under control.

My dog scratches her tail, losing hair. Will salmon oil help flea itch?

Most Helpful Answer

Related Questions

Why is my mouse's eye swollen, cloudy, and has pus?

What fish dog food helps dry skin if my dog eats Science Diet?

Can chickens eat bell peppers daily and what about veggie salads?

Is Purina Layer Pellets good for chickens? What other feeds exist?

My mice eat all their food together from one bowl. Is this normal?

My pet is breathing hard, not eating, and lethargic. What's wrong?

Share