My pug scratches her stomach raw, but has no fleas. What's wrong?

Question

I have a pug, she turned 5 this past month. For a couple months now she's been scratching underneath her stomach and it even comes to the point it starts to bleed. Its red and cracking at the moment but she doesn't seem to wimp about it. We checked for fleas, luckily she doesn't have any. What do I get or do? Pet's info: Dog | Pug | Female | spayed | 5 years and 2 months old | 16 lbs

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

Poor Doris! This scratching can be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. Fleas live in the environment, not on the dog. They jump on to feed, and then jump off. She still could have fleas even if you didn't see any. 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!

My pug scratches her stomach raw, but has no fleas. What's wrong?

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