My dog has fleas and allergies despite meds. How to stop itching?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

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  Answered By Jenny, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on July 26th, 2017

  The best flea medications now are tablets you give monthly called nexgard or simpatico or every three months called bravecto. Giving your dog a weekly bath in a medicated shampoo can help soothe her skin. If there is a lot of scabs and hair loss, she may need antibiotics and anti itch medicine to completely resolve it from your vet

  

  2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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  Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

  Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

  Published on July 31st, 2019

  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 his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed.  There are medications such as Apoquel or prednisone which may help with the itch. 

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!

  

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  Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

  Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

  Published on December 19th, 2016

  Poor pup! If he does have a flea allergy, it will be very important to keep him on a good quality prescription flea control medication such as Nexgard, Bravecto, or Comfortis/Trifexis - this should help keep him symptoms to a minimum. If he's currently very itchy, he may also need to see a vet for medication to get his current flare-up under control, such as a short-term steroid and/or an antibiotic.

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful