Don’t be fooled into thinking you can discontinue flea control during the cooler months. Even with one bout of warm weather, fleas will start breeding again. In fact, fleas can breed in Melbourne all year round, albeit at a slower rate during winter.

One of the most common skin conditions affecting dogs is flea allergy dermatitis. As in other types of allergic conditions the dog’s immune system “overreacts” to foreign substances (allergens or antigens) to which it is exposed. These overreactions manifest as itchy skin.

A normal dog experiences only minor skin irritation in response to flea bites. On the other hand, the flea allergic dog has a severe, itch- producing reaction to flea bites. Just one bite causes intense itching and this is of a long lasting nature. The dog’s response to the intense itching is to chew, lick, or scratch which causes hair loss, sores and scabs on the skin, allowing a secondary bacterial infection to begin. This quickly results in a vicious circle of scratching, inflammation and infection, leading to more scratching especially around the tail base.

Treatment involves anti-inflammatory and antibiotic treatments (prescribed by your veterinary surgeon) along with strict flea control. Fortunately there are many excellent flea control products. These include tablet and spot-on flea control products as well as combined products that include intestinal and heart-worm control. Consult your veterinary surgeon to find the product most suited to your pet. Remember to use flea control products on all of your pets.