Treatment of skin infections: Oral antibiotics are sometimes necessary but in many cases topical therapies like shampoos can be highly effective. Many of these may also be used to prevent fleas in the future.Īllergy treatment: Antihistamines and corticosteroids are effective in breaking the itch-scratch cycle initiated by the body's allergic response. Treatment involves three approaches: flea treatment, allergy treatment, and treatment of the skin infections that invariably result from a pet's response to the allergy.Flea treatment: Many safe drugs and products have been designed to effectively kill fleas. Allergic skin disease in general, however, has been found to be more prevalent among certain breeds of dogs. No breed predisposition has been specifically identified for FAD in either dogs or cats. However, because a single bite can cause a reaction and many FAD patients show no signs of ever having ever been bitten, definitive diagnosis may rest either on allergy testing (blood- or skin-based) or, more commonly, after treating with a highly effective flea product. The diagnosis of FAD is typically made after finding fleas (or evidence thereof). Still other cats may lose the fur over their noses and develop crusts and ulcerations there. Many, however, will develop tiny scabs (collectively called miliary dermatitis) that may cover most of their body but affects their necks and rumps preferentially. Affected dogs typically exhibit thinning of the hair along the tail base in a classic, "Christmas tree" pattern.Īffected cats may lick off large swaths of hair in a bilaterally symmetrical pattern. In dogs, red, oozing lesions called hot spots may develop in areas where the scratching is most intense-typically on the rump, tail, and hind legs. However, if a pet's home environment is infested with fleas or if the pet lives in a place that is warm year-round, FAD can be a year-round problem seemingly unaffected by the weather.ĭogs and cats typically display different signs of FAD: Signs of FAD can be more severe during warm and humid weather, when fleas are more active. When collected and evaluated off the animal, this blackish "flea dirt" will dissolve into a rusty, bloody paste when wetted. This last sign is the result of flea feces. Unpleasant odor (usually the result of secondary infection)īlackish debris (flea feces) on the skin at the base of the hair Itching, scratching, licking, biting and chewing of the skin is typically the first sign of this condition but other evidence of FAD includes:ĭarkening or thickening of skin (after a prolonged period of infestation) Though more than two thousand species of fleas exist, the one that most commonly infests dogs and cats is the common cat flea - otherwise known as Ctenocephalides felis. Because secondary bacterial or fungal infections often occur secondary to the inflammation, untreated FAD The resulting inflammation and itching can lead to such dramatic scratching, licking, biting, and chewing that the skin is often red, scabbed, crusty, and otherwise inflamed. For some afflicted pets, even a single flea bite can cause a severe, prolonged reaction.įAD is considered a highly uncomfortable condition. An allergic reaction to certain proteins in the flea's saliva occurs after a flea bites and feeds on a pet's skin. Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) is a skin condition of dogs and cats that's caused by an allergic reaction to flea saliva.
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