Severe Flea Allergy Dermatitis

[leah_da_legendWOTWOT]

Hi there, I'm urgently seeking any tips or hints in treating flea allergy dermatitis.

Poor Molly, my beagle x is suffering badly. She's been with me now for just over 12 months and has never been this bad. See attatched photos. Since the weather been heating up BOOM her FAD has flared 1000x worse than its ever been. I've been to the vet, who got her an injection, prescribed antibiotics and ilium cream, while they have helped, she started clearing up the skin was healing, she has flared up again.

This is what I am doing at the moment:

The dogs are outside dogs not by choice. (live at home with mum in a nearly completey cream carpet house) - that and Molly does not get along with cats.

We have a two storey house, downstairs is just the garage, a concrete area for the dogs and a laundry. The rest is dirt. However, I have since gravelled a large area under the house 2m x 5m and have changed their beds from hession bags to shadecloth. I have limed all under the house (powdered white stuff) aswell as sprayed all areas, beds etc with Malaban.

The dogs have sentinel spectrum every month aswell as Molly having frontline every fortnight - now changing to advantix as soon as i arrives from pp. Harvey is not affected.

Nothing seems to be working??!??!!! and I am getting distressed for this poor girl, nay tips or hints greatly appreciated

[leah_da_legendWOTWOT]

sores, half healed

[leah_da_legendWOTWOT]

all over her body, wheres b4 she only used to get a slight red rash on her stomach, nothing like it is now

[Rappie]

I'm sorry that I have more questions than answers, but I hope it ends up being helpful....

How long is the course of antibiotics?

What was the injection that she was given?

You mentioned that Molly doesn't like the cats - are they inside only, or do they go outside? Are there any animals in neighbouring houses?

Do treat Harvey monthly for fleas as well, or is he only on Sentinel?

What does Molly eat normally?

Just looking at the photos you have posted I would suggest (if you aren't already) using an antibacterial shampoo such as Pyohex to help with the skin infection that is going on (which is certainly deep enough to warrant a long course antibiotics) and some kind of soothing leave in conditioner such as Aloveen.

[mita]

Can only tell you things that I've found helps our Gracie. Her skin allergies were bad. Vet pleased with her now.

Flea control. Advantage. I put half the tube in neck region, other half on back over hips (but not where she can chew).

Bathing I don't overdo it. Normally use a fragrance- free dog shampoo by Melrose. I dry her thoroughly with cotton towels (not hair dryer) as damp hair makes her skin humid. Some Fido's Fre Itch Rinse in the rinse water.

When her skin (& inside ears) starts to go pink....I give her Polaramine anti-histamine tables (recommended by vet).

When her allergy is flaring & she's chewing....I use Pyohex shampoo. It kills the normal bacteria on the skin that sneak into the chewed bits & turn it into infection. You leave the suds on for up to 10 mins.

But first I cut her hair right back to the skin around any chewed at bit.

Any sign a spot is turning into an infection, I give her Rilexine antibiotics (vet gives me some to keep handy in the fridge.) Within a day or 2, stops infection.

Keeping her skin cool seems to help. I've found that areas where hair cut back right to the skin do not get to the horrible chewing stage. So I'm getting her clipped to skin by groomer.

Omega Oils are good for skin. She gets a couple of cans tuna in springwater in dinner a week. Also an egg yolk (not white). Sometimes Flaxseed (Linseed)Oil.

Her diet is rice, chicken & vegetables. And NO artificial colourings or preservatives in food....I use Supercoat Lite dry food...& Tuckertime roll (from the vet).

ADDED: She's been on a diet to lose some weight (built like a fat little tank!). And I've noticed her skin allergy has improved with weight loss.

Edited November 19, 2005 by mita

[leah_da_legendWOTWOT]

Thank you for your response Rappie.

1. The antibiotics were for 10 days, she has fnished them now. (mon) and looked much better until wednesday where she started to flare up a little on her stomach, to sores again and major redness etc on her stomach yesterday. I am going to take her to the vets again on mon. Appt ready ade to make sure she was ok after antibiotics.

The antibiotics were Noroclav 250mg given morning and night for 10 days. Aswell as Ilium Neocort cream applied 2-3 times daily.

2.The shot, I can't remember what it was, but couldn't be given at the same time as her booster vaccs if that helps? I can ask again on Mon.

3.Lilly the cat is an inside/outside cat. However mum has said a firm no to Molly being inside. (I am working on it!) There are dogs in all ajoining houses, aswell as cats and I also have birds, but they don't come in contact with them. Also have a problem with letting Molly out for toilet breaks etc during the day when we arn't home.

4. Harvey is on sentinel aswell as frontline monthly, just not fortnightly.

5. The dogs usually eat cooked chicken mince and raw necks aswell as dry food. They are eating pedigree pal at the moment as money is a little tight. However the past week she has been eating a cooked dog roll. I hate the stuff and don't usually give it too them but chicken mince is becomming hard to find here. I have 10kgs of necks ready to pick up on Monday though. I wasn't sure if the food could cause a problem, but have since read up on food allergy while looking under fad. So we are buying a freezer asap and then can order chicken mince in bulk from a shop about 45mins drive away. (I don't drive atm so buying in bulk makes it easier)

Shampoo I am using a medicated aloe vera and charcoal? one from the vet. Its in a blue and black bottle. Its in the bathroom atm where my bro is taking a shower so can't read it. I haven't used conditioner. Any product I put on her seems to irritate her, even the frontline. I have tried spraying her with Malaban but she goes berserk and it doesn't seem to have an effect on her.

I'm going to see now that my bros back if I can get her to the vets today. BRB

Edited November 19, 2005 by Leah&Harves

[Rappie]

For a skin infection like one Molly is displaying, I would put a dog on a course of antibiotics that lasted for at 3 weeks. They really need to be given until the skin clears up entirely, because you need to control the infection from the very basal layers of the skin and it takes time for the skin cells to mature, migrate and slough off as dead cells. If the Noroclav wasn't being magical, there is another similar antibiotic (the Rilexine that Mita mentioned) that can be used that is possibly better for skin conditions.

I'm guessing from what you have said that the injection was cortisone, to help relieve the inflammation and itching associated with the allergy. It's not ideal as a long term treatment without investigating causes, but you could ask your vet about using antihistamines to try to help relieve the itch. You could also try a essential fatty acid supplement - Megaderm is a commerical one, or canned fish (tuna or salmon), or fish oil capsules.

Are the cats treated for fleas as well? It can be a pain, but if the cats and the dogs are sharing any of the same areas, the cats should be treated as well, even if they don't appear to be carrying fleas. If it is solely a flea allergy, it will only take one bite to start it off, and once there is dermatitis - that itches just as much by itself.

If this first line treatment doesn't seem to have much effect, I would consider the possibility of a food allergy and speak to the vet about doing a food trial. Food trials are probably the hardest thing you can ask a pet owner to do - I would usually recommend starting with a commercial food like Z/d and feeding that, and only that for at least 6 weeks (z/d is a prescription food - so you need to speak to your vet). If you see an improvement, then a food allergy is likely - from there you can spend some time working out what to feed by introducing her normal diet etc to see what effect is has on her skin. Although chicken has shorter chain proteins than beef and lamb, they are all common culprits for food allergies, allergies to gluten, preservatives etc occur, but are less common than the "Big 3" meats.

If a food trial doesn't help, atopic dermatitis could be another possibility - unfortunately its often hard to pinpoint and definitive diagnosis requires intradermal skin testing to be done by a veterinary dermatologist.

All that said, see if you can get some more antibiotics and continue with a medicated shampoo, try a moisturising leave in conditioner and keep up with really strict flea control. Deal with the easy solutions first and see how you go.

Edited November 19, 2005 by Rappie

[dogbesotted]

allergies are such a trial for both dog and owner.

I would be looking at adding more omega oils to the diet..canned mackeral in oil, tuna in olive oil, sardines. sunflower oil ( has both omega 3 and 6), also look at zinc, biotin, vit A C & E and selenium . evening primrose oil is antiinflamatory and correct omega 6 fatty acid deficiency.

Severe scratching can be helped with an oatmeal bath. Put 1/2 to 1 cup oatmeal into a sock or stocking and squeeze into tepid water. The water should go a milky colour. Soak your dog for 10 mins for soothing the skin and calming the rash. Three drops of lavender oil can be added to the water. Rinse thoroughly in luke warm water and allow to dry.

you can also use peppermint ( mentha piperita) as it is analgesic, antifungal antiprutitic and antibacterial. Suitable as infusion when there is intense scratching- you can either make peppermint tea, cool it and apply as a final rinse. ( Iused to put it in a spray bottle to use on my Jake)

[Winterpaws]

I have an allergy diet written by a holistic vet and I am happy to email you the file if you send me a PM with your email addy.

I'm a big fan of the oatmeal bath that dogbesotted suggested - it will be very soothing for her

[holly]

Good old Condees Crystals baths are excellent too to sooth skin

[Tilly]

Poor Molly - that looks very uncomfortable....

Do you also treat the cat for flea?

When we had a flea problem - due to our cats (they bring them in from the neighbouring yards) - I used Malawash (or Malaban) which I mix up in a garden sprayer and did the whole yard (lawn, gardens and concrete area) at the same time I treat the dogs and cats - total saturation of the whole area. I used to also keep a small hand sprayer handy to spray the usually areas (eg favourite napping places) on a daily basis.

Let us know how Molly goes.

Edited: We also flea bombed the house and garage on a regular basis until the fleas were eliminated from the area.

Edited November 19, 2005 by Tilly

[leah_da_legendWOTWOT]

Thank you everyone for your replies, I have taken many notes and the information you have given me is very much appreciated. I have tried to reply several times today but my comp keeps cutting out so excuse this short msg. I will try to attatch a photo but will add msg first.

I have noted down a few things to discuss with the vet like antihistomines, a longer dose of antibiotics, pyhohex, oatmeal and pep oil, condees crystals and diet arrangements. Winterpaws I would appreciate that file very much. My email addy is leahs1986 at homtail dot com.

Also wanted to add, that sorry Molly does get sardines in oil, once to twice a week. I jus buy the cheapo brand as wasn't sure it made a difference is that ok???

Also Lilly is fleas treated aswell. She has a monthly spot on treatment, by advocate. Trying to eliminate as many of the little buggers as I can!!!!

Thanks again everyone and I will check back after vet visit, computer willing!!!

Also forgot to add that I have convinced mum to let Molly inside atleast until she has been to the vets. So at the moment she is in the spare room, on her satin sheet. See pic below. and I have also blocked off the stairs on the front verandah so she has full access to that. I have placed her bed out there and her food aswell.

The cat and her arn't actuallu going to bad, she usually barks and chased her, but has been absolutely fine thank god. Just curious but not over the top or aggressive. Sniff here and there. She has also been great with the bird on the verandah, not interested at all actually. Its all starting o work out which is great. thank you

Edited November 19, 2005 by Leah&Harves

[dogbesotted]

have been thinking about Molly...have you had a full blood work up done on her including thyroid?

May be worthwhile.

[TiffanyAmber]

My Millie was like this when we first discovered summer-itch. Red raw that was until we tried Quit-Itch.

Leah&Harves I would apply it raw. Dab a bit where it is red and reapply four times a day.

Do a search on flea allergies and summer itch. Some great help there also.

http://forums.dogzonline.com.au/index.php?...91&hl=quit+itch

[dogcop]

Holly condees crystals may not be a good thing whilst i have been using them for years too there is currently a suggestion that they are carcenagenic. They could cause cancer I personally have not been able to find out if it is correct or not but I am not prepared to use them anymore until I find out. I will post a notice when I do or maybe some one else can answer this ?

[walkthedog]

Sam the golden retriever is prone to rashes at times, I then put him on Farrels Kibble and bones only. I use Advantage for fleas etc. Am not sure if some of the dry food has food colorings that he is allergic to, its a bit of hit and miss with some of them. It was a bit of a worry when I couldnt get Farrells a while back, but now have found a new outlet, thank goodness.

[sas]

Just out of curosity has the Vet done a skin scraping?

[larry]

definately try the different options people have mentioned to sooth the skin, and treat any possible infections, but i would look at omega 3 supplementation in your dog's diet, as this helps the skin to repair itself.

you normally find dogs have omega 3 deficiency's (as omega 3 oils are quite unstable) while omega 6 oils are far more shelf stable. even if commercial dog foods have added omega 3 oils, if they are imported, then the long travel times mean the omega 3 levels will drop off greatly over time....fresher is better....

fish oils and flax seed oil are good for omega 3, however want to find out the EPA level in the oil as this is a component of omega 3 oils which is VERY important in helping the skin to repair itself.

the EPA level in sardines and fish oil can vary a LOT, so if you have serious problems, which your dog seems to have, then try a commercial supplement from a vet, also these supplements contain added vitamins and minerals which help improve the action of the oils. Friends in perth used megaderm in the past, but now use omega magic plus which is a lot cheaper....

some info from google :"The primary sources of omega-6 are corn, soy, canola, safflower and sunflower oil; these oils are overabundant in the typical diet, which explains our excess omega-6 levels. Avoid or limit these oils. Omega-3, meanwhile, is typically found in flaxseed oil, walnut oil, and fish."

Edited November 24, 2005 by larry

[~Anne~]

Keep in mind also that it only takes one flea to jump on, have a bite and jump back off again to cause the reaction. The reaction is not neccessarily a reflection of the number of fleas and so even though you may not see any fleas, continue to treat well after the derm has cleared.

Rappie, eons ago (in the 'olden' days) when I was nursing they actually were able to treat dogs with severe and chronic flea bite derm by building up the dogs immunity to the saliva over several months but I can not recall what it was they injected the dog with to build the immunity up. The dogs I saw treated recovered completely.

Do you know if this is still available? I think it may have been in trials stage at the time I mention.

[Rappie]

Puggles, I think you're talking about the trials that were being done to see if immunotherapy would help with FAD. The principle was the same as the allergy vaccines used to treat atopy - inject small amounts of the allergen (flea saliva) that the animal is sensitive to in order to desensitise them to it over time.

Not sure that it is available any more, from memory, the results weren't as encouraging as expected - the did work for some dogs, but were being used in conjunction with very strict flea control and the success rate was lower than the 60-80% response seen in atopy treatment.

The current recommendations are to treat fleas from multiple angles and be very strict. The topical treatments such as Frontline and Advantage tend to have kill rates of less than 100% by they time they make it to 28 days after application - it still perfectly reasonable for animals that are just itchy because they have fleas, rather than having full blown FAD. In those animals with FAD it is worthwhile upping the frequency of treatment to every 3 weeks, even every fortnight to ensure adequate kill rates. Also really important to try to treat their environment - need to prevent new infestation as well as killing anything that lives on the dogs and cats.

Edited November 25, 2005 by Rappie