Are fleas causing my dog's skin rash and breakouts on her tummy?

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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

This can be caused by various reasons such as fleas, mites ,fungal infection, bacterial infection and allergies. the first 4 needs to be ruled out before we start treating for allergies. in order to do that first de-flea him with a high quality flea treatment such as advantage spot on, if it doesn't help - take him to the vet in order to check for/treat the other possibilities. If everything is ruled out, then an allergy treatment can be started. Usually an hypoallergenic food is a good way to start together with anti histamines. if it doesn't help - the best solution is a medication called Apoquel which treats allergies with great success and without side effects.

Most likely it is an allergy but it could also be a heat rash or a bacterial or fungal infection. I suggest you use this topical mousse on the affected areas to see if that helps. If not, she should be examined by your vet. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-6679-douxo-calm-mousse-for-dogs-and-cats-68-oz.aspx )

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his 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 environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Skin problems in dogs are usually secondary to allergies. Due to the her having dry skin on her backside, and the history of fleas, I think that Samantha has a flea allergy. Flea allergies tend to make dogs lose hair and become very itchy on the back 1/3 of their body. The key to getting rid of fleas is to make sure that you treat the environment where Samantha is as well as her. The fleas that you can see are only the tip of the iceberg. Most of the flea life cycle is in the carpet , bedding inside and grass outside. There is a stage of the life cycle that can not be killed with pesticides. So- it is important to treat the dog and environment and then repeat it in 3-4 weeks. If your dog has a flea allergy, it is important to keep them on a monthly flea prevention because even one flea bite will make them itch. If your fleas are truly gone and you have Samantha on a regular flea prevention, she could have another allergy like an inhalant allergy. I would recommend a visit to the veterinarian to figure out what is going on with her abdomen. Bumps could be a sign of a bacterial infection. Your vet may be able prescribe a treatment to get her feeling better. The thing to remember about allergies and skin problems in dogs is that there is not one magic treatment that works on all dogs. It will require team work between you and your vet to determine what works best for Samantha. Don't get frustrated if the first thing doesn't work, go back in for a recheck and try the next treatment.

Chronic skin lesions could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Simparica. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Sammy wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent further chewing. Have her physically examined by your veterinarian to diagnose the underlying cause. If she has a skin infection systemic and/or topical antibiotics may be necessary. Continue to treat for fleas with a monthly oral or topical preventative. Do this for at least 3 consecutive months, preferably year round. If you have multiple pets, ALL the pets should be treated. You will need to treat the environment as well. This includes vacuuming everywhere then disposing of the bag or emptying the canister outdoors immediately afterwards. Wash all bedding in the hottest water allowable by fabric then dry in a dryer. Use an area treatment, such as Indorex or Knockout ES, to prevent re-infestation.