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I have a 1 year old beagle (female) and for the past month or so shes been constantly biting and scratching herself all over. No belly rash but she does have small 1/4-1/2 inch slightly raised bumps covered with scabs on her head and back. We have her on Frontline plus, give her weekly baths using Adams d-Limonene Flea & Tick Shampoo, and we feed her Purina Pro Plan shredded lamb & rice adult (we pulled her off of it just in case of a food allergy). We live out in the country and the neighbors dogs do run around loose. I bought them Zodiak Flea & Tick (5 month) collars and sprayed the perimeter of the yard (2 acre) and home with a Demon max solution.
We have very little money (less than $500 a month after bills) so we cant buy diff types of food every other day or run to the vet for expensive tests. Not sure if her scratching and biting is Frontline failure (ive noticed 1-2 fleas on her and ive killed a couple in the house), a reaction to her food, a chemical reaction to the shampoo or Zodiak collars, or the Demon max. Ive also noticed that on occasion she will eat some grass from the perimeter and im wondering if shes eating tainted grass.
Has anyone had any problems such as this? Im thinking of taking the bag of food back to the pet store and trading it for something else but she loves the stuff and would be a waste if the food isnt the culprit.
Food allergies are relatively uncommon - maybe 10 percent of all allergies. It is very unlikely food is the culprit. Atopic and flea allergies are most common.
First - why are you doing those pointless flea collars and dime-store flea baths at the same time as Frontline? That is a terrible idea and an utter waste of money besides flooding your dog with unecessary products. FYI - Frontline (fipronil) is now available generically, cheapest at Wal-Mart under the brand name Pet Armor. Search this forum for Frontline and Pet Armor, there are some very recent discussions about these, and about how flea meds work.
Head and back is more likely to be bacterial skin infections, not food or fleas, and secondary to atopic allergies. Fleas is almost always base of the tail and haunches. Food itchy feet or generalized pruritis. I will bet money, right here and right now, that your dog has an atopic allergy, that you need antibiotics to clear it up, and that you'll need to learn how to manage this rather than hope to "cure" it.
Google any of the terms in this post for more information.
You misunderstand? First of all, when you are on unemployment you shop at dime stores. Adams is a very good brand. I dont put flea collars and frontline on my dog. i put collars on the neighbors dogs because they arent given anything and they like to play with my dog when shes out in the yard. Theres nothing wrong with using frontline plus giving your dog a flea bath once a week. Bacterial infection is possible but the bacteria has to be in something. Ingested or through contact. Which is the reasoning for the dog food and frontline vs collar chem suspicions.
The spots are on her head and back but shes constantly biting her paws, butt, groin, and scratching at her sides and neck.
Sorry, I did miss about the flea collars, they're for the neighbor dogs....but I don't think it is necessary to give a dog a weekly bath, let alone a flea bath, if you're already using Frontline. You can save money by not doing that; it may well be irritating to her skin, or even making the Fronline ineffective, since fipronil stays in the glands on the surface of her skin. Also run a flea comb or check closely for flea dirt - could be your local flea population is becoming resistant. Especially if you're using a multitude of chemicals in an attempt to kill them. Fleas are really tough little buggers; there is also at least one other recent thread about resistance to flea meds.
And I do understand being on a limited income. That's why I suggested the Wal Mart generic Frontline (Pet Armor - there's a recent thread about it here) which is $28 for 3 months versus whatever Frontline costs, about $60?. Also the Zodiac collars are a waste of money - they don't work. So there's another way you can save money. Yet another way: I am not sure how spraying something just around the perimeter of your property is going to control fleas. If there are fleas and flea eggs on your property, you need to spray the whole two acres, not just a little bit of it. I wouldn't bother doing that, either...you're not acheiving anything.
If she has a bacterial skin infection, it's not "in" anything she's eating or touching, it's in her skin, and can be very tough to cure - you need antibiotics. Atopic (airborne) allergies are much more common than food allergies. Flea allergies are also pretty common. The only way to properly figure out a food allergy is through an elimination diet. If you suspect food, don't toss what you have - put it in the freezer sealed up. Either do an elimination diet or find a food that has a completely different ingredient profile than the Purina and try that for a few weeks.
But atopic allergies are most common. Especially in summer. Yes, I had a dog with atopic allergies, it could get pretty bad. Mostly, you manage symptoms: benadryl or Tavist for itching, oatmeal or colloidal silver or Virbac shampoo (not too often; bathing a dog too often strips healthy oil and is more likely to make them itch) that may soothe the skin. Fish oil pills (the kind sold for people are fine) too - fish oil can be an anti-inflammatory and is good for skin and joints too. They're not expensive. Clean ears with a mild water:white vinegar solution regularly - especially with a floppy-eared dog like a beagle - how are her ears?
Zodiak collars do work very well. I chose them over the Adams and Hartz brands due to the high ratings from Amazon. Theyve gotten rid of all the fleas from the dogs and the ticks i pulled off of them were dead.
Anyway, her ears are fine. We did have to take a trimmer and get a few hairs in there a few weeks ago. She was shaking her head constantly but she stopped once we trimmed her ear hairs.
. We have her on Frontline plus, give her weekly baths using Adams d-Limonene Flea & Tick Shampoo.
If you use Frontline Plus, you shouldn't bath her weekly. Skin oil is needed for the Frontline Plus to spread and work. Don't bath her three days before and after the adminsitration of Frontline. If her skin is dry, don't bathe her for a week before and after.
If it is a bacterial infection, Virbac Pyoben shampoo is a very good shampoo to use.
Oh we dont bathe her for a few days after giving her the frontline. Theres nothing in the instructions nor any advice from the vet regarding 3 day bathing waits but generally its been a few days anyway when we put the stuff on her.
Do they make liquid fish oil or is it only in pill form? yeah dumb question i know but pills are a pain to get down a dog's throat
"I am not sure how spraying something just around the perimeter of your property is going to control fleas"
Well first of all thats what the directions said to do. Spray a 10'-20' wide perimeter around the yard and around the house. Keeps the bugs from entering into the yard and home. Plus we got tired of having to pick ticks off our shoes, socks, and legs every time we went outside.
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