I have a great Pyrenees and can not rid of the fleas how can I get rid of them. It is like they won't get out of her coat she is itching her self bald in spots. Pet's info: Dog | Great Pyrenees | Female | spayed | 110 lbs

Sounds like she not only has fleas, but likely a flea allergy as well. Poor thing! Fleas can be very hard to get rid of as various life stages can remain present in the environment. Treatment focuses on several factors: 1) A good flea preventative such as Simparica or Trifexis. I prefer oral medications as they allow you to bathe your pet as necessary 2) Capstar- this will kill all fleas on your pup in a couple of hours, but has NO preventative quality 3) Cleaning of the enviroment- vacuum often. Wash bedding in hot water. Use a flea bomb in your home. It can take 3 months to truly eradicate them from your home 4) A medication to provide relief from itching. I prefer Cytopoint which is a once monthly injection that halts the inflammatory response in the body with very few side effects. Apoquel is an oral medication that is also a good choice. A low dose of a steroid is also an option, but has more side effects such as excessive drinking and urination. The key with fleas is to treat all of your animals,and your home concurrently. Be patient and persistent. I am sorry you are having to deal with this!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Wela. This itching can be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If she isn't up to date on her flea treatment, I can give you one for her. First, I would give her Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash her bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If she is up to date on her flea treatment, I recommend taking her into the vet for an exam tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. I hope this helps!