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Why is my foster dog still itchy with dry patches if no fleas?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | unspayed | 20 lbs

HI, our foster pup is really itchy and has a few dry patches on her tail. I was told she has flea dermatitis by the shelter that had her. Not sure what to do. She doesn't currently have fleas so why would she still be so itchy?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on March 19th, 2018

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Dayna, DVM, CVA

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on April 21st, 2018

    All that thick dander makes me suspicious of a mite called cheyletiella. I would encourage you to have her evaluated by a veterinarian. If your shelter has a veterinarian often they will test for free for you if it is within a few weeks of adoption. A skin scrape can diagnose the problem. It can be treated with several different methods if that is the problem. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

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