Senior Maltese has fleas and spreading skin sores. Is it serious?

Question

I have an 11 year old maltese and no matter what I try, I cannot get rid of fleas. I noticed a week ago that he has a huge sore/scab on his side. I have been cleaning it but I noticed today that he has another one right beside the first one. They are now on his face and under his ears. I'm freaking out. Pet's info: Dog | Maltese | Male | neutered | 11 years and 1 month old | 11 lbs

Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA · Accepted Answer

The picture of the sores is very concerning. It looks like it may be infected or the skin may be damaged. I recommend that Marley see a vet as soon as possible for further evaluation. Fleas can be very frustrating to get rid of. It takes several months of consistent treatment to rid a flea infestation. All pets in the household need to be on a good preventative. Many of the OTC flea preventatives do not seem to work as well as prescriptions, so you may need to talk to your vet about prescription flea preventatives. Sometimes we even need to use two different types at once. The house and yard also need to be treated for fleas. Fleas do not live on pets, they live under things or in small crevices and only jump on the pet when it is time to feed. Here is some more info on fleas: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A

Senior Maltese has fleas and spreading skin sores. Is it serious?

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