How to treat my dog's flea bites and know if they're infected?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Maltipoo | Male | unneutered | 4 years and 9 months old | 11 lbs
How do I treat my dogs flea bites? Is this infected?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on July 22nd, 2020
Hello. I do not think this is infected, but it is definitely very, very irritated. The best way to treat flea bites is to prevent them in the first place, so do be sure to be as diligent as possible with treating all of your pets, you indoor premises & outdoor environment with appropriate products. A cool water, oatmeal based shampoo can be very soothing. Nene may need additional medications to deal with this inflammation, so you may need to see your veterinarian for this. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on June 15th, 2018
These are probably fleas, i do not recommend using any shampoos for this problem. here is the list of the best flea products on the market. Spot ons: Revoulution Advantage Advantage Multi Frontline (ticks as well) Bravecto spot on (ticks as well) - for cats Tablets: Comfortis Collar: Seresto ( (ticks as well) House spary: Indoorex
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
Well, I am 15 and my family has two dogs both of which have a terrible case of fleas. One of the dogs keeps biting her paws because the fleas are crawling in there. Due to this biting, her paws have become extremely inflamed and begun to excrete a cr
In order to rid the flea problem you will have to treat the animals and the environment at the same time. When the weather cools the problem can get worse. You can get flea tablets to treat the animals with that will last a month or 3 months based on what type you get. As far as the scratching and sores go, there should not be a discharge between the toes. You can try to clean the area with soap and water, and use dawn dish soap or baby shampoo as this can kill the fleas. You can apply cortisone cream to the affected area or medicated powder to help dry out the area to provide some relief.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Is this area on my dog flea bites?
Poor guy. This does not appear to be flea bites becsuse the area is too large and also is infected. This can however be self trauma which is secondary to a flea allergy. If you see flea dirt (small black specks on the haircoat) or if Tango isn't on a flea preventative, this is a good time to get him on one. I would recommend a good quality flea prevention such as Bravecto, Nexgard, Simparica or Vectra/Firstshield. Then I would recommend getting this skin infection treated through your vet. He needs prescription antibiotics to clear this up. Until you can get him in to be seen, you can try cleansing the area with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water and then just leaving it to dry. Don't cover the area as this can lead to further infection. Hydrogen peroxide should also not be used on wounds like this or it could actually lead to further destruction of healthy tissue. I hope Tango gets this resolved soon, and best of luck treating for any underlying allergies he may have that could h
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, my dog keeps scratching and biting her tail and her wound is increasing rapidly. I am afraid its some kind of infection or something. Please help and suggest
Hi there! I agree with you, it does look infected. This is at times seen with flea allergy dermatitis. The allergic component usually results in itchiness resulting in self-trauma and a secondary infection. I recommended having Paggy evaluated by your veterinarian so that the appropriate therapy can be initiated. This is going to be local wound treatment as well as systemic antimicrobial therapy pending the results of a culture or at least empyrical treatment based on cytology. The possible allergy can be discussed at that time depending on further history and examination. Try to keep it as clean possible until she is evaluated. Best of luck and thanks for entrusting us with her care
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have a four 6 week old puppies that have a lot of fleas. We’re currently showering them and removing as many fleas as possible but their skin is inflamed from all the bites. What can I put on their skin to relieve the inflammation ?
Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the con
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
Do you this this is black fly bites?
It is possible, though it looks more like it could be a bacterial infection. Ideally, take her in to the vet for an exam so that the proper treatment can be determined. If you want to try something at home, you can try this product: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-wound-and-skin-care-for-dogs However, if it is not improving within a few days, please get her in to see your vet. Thanks for asking Boop by Petco!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog keeps scratching and biting, I have treated her for fleas but continues to scratch n bite. 1st pic is her belly n by her back legs, 2nd pic is her tail, 3rd pic are what both her sides are starting to look like from scraching so hard
Looks like your little lady is giving herself some hot spots there. If there is a hot spot forming under the hair then the best thing to do is to remove the hair and cleanse the area with an antibacterial solution. Some dogs require topical and/or oral antibiotics and other dogs benefit from some steroids to stop the itch. Most hot spots are secondary to underlying allergies (inhaled/environmental, food, or flea). If seasonal environmental is most likely. The best way to help her would be to see your family vet to have the areas addressed topically and so that medications can be prescribed to treat any infection and stop the itch. I hope this helps and thank you for using Boop by Petco!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Ive just noticed a red sore which feels slightly raised on her back left thigh (see picture attached). I have flea treated her last month and used a comb, and she always seems to have small 'flea bite like bumps' but no fleas? It seems she has irrit
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! 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. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. 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 envir
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
my dog keeps licking the areas around his testicals red and whining a bit. he had fleas in that area but recently they were gotten rid of. could it just be bites that he keeps picking at? its been happening the past couple days. i have an appointment
This could initially have been flea bites which irritated him and made him lick the area. He may have damaged the skin through licking and now there may be a bacterial skin infection. I think the appointment with your vet on the 10th August is too long to wait, as bacterial infections can spread very fast. Try getting an appointment in the next few days telling them that you think there is an infection. If the vet cannot accommodate you, try another vet. Your dog will likely need either antibiotic ointment or oral prescription antibiotics if there is a bacterial skin infection. If you happen to have an e-collar at home, you should put it on your dog to prevent him from licking the area.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has had fleas for months now. I've used spot on 2/3 times on him, and used the flea shampoo each week. He keeps scratching himself and has developed these tiny dots (just what happens to humans when bitten by mosquitoes) everywhere, especially
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! I recommend taking Cashew to your vet to treat the allergic reaction he is having to the flea bites. They can also discuss the best flea prevention options. Not all preventions are effective, especially ones purchased over the counter. You also need to continue to use the products every 30 days for at least 3 months to stop the flea life cycle. I would stop using the shampoos as that doesn’t kill the fleas for longer than 24 hours and could be making your topical products less effective. Also, treat all the pets in the home even if they aren’t showing signs. Lastly, I would recommend a home treatment spray. Use it in each room (carpeted and non-carpeted) and be sure to use under furniture. Then vacuum well and throw out the bag. Good luck and kisses to Cashew!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Snaccs Just got over having fleas and was plased on comfortis. He's still itching. To the point of having these sores on his "knees" and around he genitals. Is this a reaction to the fleas or the medication. He want stop licking and biting himself ex
Hello. Snaccs may be suffering a delayed hypersensitivity reaction to the fleas & this can last for quite some time after the fleas are gone. It is also possible that he has allergies or sensitivities to other potential allergens such as dust & pollens. I would recommend bathing him in a mild shampoo, either oatmeal based or one that has Pramoxine or 1% hydrocortisone in it. You can bathe him 2-3 times a week using cool water. Let him soak for 5-10 minutes & make sure you get all the soap out of his coat. If he continues to be itchy, you will need to see your veterinarian for other recommendations including anti-allergy medications such as Apoquel or Cytopoint, or allergy testing to see what else may be bothering him. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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