Dr. Walt's happy tails: Protect your pet from fleas and rashes

I have been literally inundated over the past 4 weeks with e-mails requesting advice on itchy pets. I've selected the following two e-mails as a sampling:

Dear Dr. Walt: I'm really not sure what the problem is with our dog. She is always itchy around the neck. We have given her flea baths and bought a combination heartworm/flea preventative from our veterinarian. However, she is still itchy. Now when she scratches her neck, she gets her ears too. Can you please give us some sort of answer as to what we can do?

Dear Dr. Walt: In the past few days, my Texas Red Nose Pitbull with short white hair has developed a rash under his skin. At first there were only a few, but now there are bumps all over his back and I don't know what to do. I can't figure out if he just has dry skin, mosquito bites from camping, or if it is possibly an allergic reaction to human cream or sunscreen. Please help as some of these bumps are now bleeding.

Late summer/early fall is the 'season of the itch' in veterinary medicine. There are many different skin conditions that have itchiness (or pruritus as it is called in medical jargon) as their common symptom. Itchiness can result in the animal causing damage to its skin, resulting in secondary hair loss, skin infections, and the dreaded 'hot spot'. For those dog owners lucky to have never experienced a hot spot with their pet, a quick information byte. Hot spots are localized areas of secondary skin infection that are a direct result of an itchy dog worrying one specific area until it is raw and inflammed. The result is a vicious cycle where, regardless of what initiated the irritation, the constant licking perpetuates and intensifies the pet's desire to worry it. Often, the only way to break this itch-lick cycle is through the use of short-term anti-inflammatory medications (such as prednisone), topical soothing cremes (never an ointment), and a method of restricting the dog's access to the area (such as an Elizabethan collar). However, there are ways one can address a pet's itching before the problem escalates to this end-point. First, a brief look at the three most common causes.

Allergies: Like people, our pet's can develop allergies - from inhaled allergies (e.g., pollen), to food allergies, to topical or contact allergies. Unlike people who generally demonstrate allergies through respiratory tract symptoms (e.g., sneezing, runny eyes/nose, etc.), animals with inhaled or food allergies manifest symptoms in their skin, with the most prevalent being itchiness. Interestingly, itchy ears are a common symptom as well. Contact allergies or irritation can also occur with common offending agents being any topically applied product (often products designed for people but used on their pets), shampoos that haven't been thoroughly rinsed, and poison ivy (which can be transferred to the pet owner!). Allergies can be one of the most difficult ailments to diagnose as the symptoms are non-specific and there is no single, definitive diagnostic test. The result is that a diagnosis is often made due to a heightened suspicion (e.g., a seasonal, annual occurrence) and by excluding other causes of itchiness. Taking and analyzing skin biopsies and doing allergy testing may help confirm one's suspicions.

Insects: The most common offending agents are fleas but any biting insect (e.g., flies, mosquitoes, etc.) can pose a problem. Fleas can often be diagnosed by seeing them scurry across areas of skin with minimal hair (e.g., belly/groin region) or by finding flea dirt. Flea dirt is small, black, and often easiest to find over the skin of the dorsal, caudal back. If unsure if it is plain dirt or flea dirt, pick some up with a dampened tissue - flea dirt will result in characteristic red spot on the tissue as the pigment of digested blood in the flea dirt is revealed.


Page 1 of 2 -- Learn how to soothe your pets environmental allergies on page 2.