Flea Allergy

Flea allergy is a very common condition in our pets. It is particularly common in dogs. The animals are hypersensitive to flea saliva. Every time a flea bites the animal to suck blood, it injects a small amount of saliva into the bite wound, which prevents the blood from clotting immediately and allows the flea to feed. The hypersensitivity reaction usually causes severe and prolonged itching. This reaction recurs every time a flea bites the animal. Intensive flea control is important for these problems, but it is usually not enough. After all, despite effective flea control, every dog or cat will occasionally pick up a flea, resulting in new allergic reactions accompanied by severe itching.

Genetic predisposition likely plays an important role in the development of flea allergy. In addition, the number of fleas in the animal’s environment—in other words, how often the animal is bitten—is also a major factor. Age is not a factor: flea allergy is seen in both young and older animals.

• Persistent itching on the hindquarters, including the belly, back, and tail.
• The itching is accompanied by inflammation, scabs, and extensive hair loss on the abdomen.
• Flea control does help, but it's usually not enough.
• Fleas are rarely, if ever, found!!
• For many animals, the itching persists (almost) all year round.
• The final diagnosis is made by the veterinarian using an intradermal allergy test.

When treating flea allergy, it is important to continuously control fleas as effectively as possible (see flea control). However, most animals with a flea allergy do not respond adequately to this alone. More needs to be done. We try to suppress the allergic reaction with medication. Corticosteroids (dexamethasone, prednisolone, etc.) are usually used for this purpose.

When these medications are used correctly, they are effective and produce quick results, and the side effects are extremely mild. The allergy does not go away, but is merely suppressed. As soon as treatment is stopped, the symptoms return. Another option is hyposensitization. In this method, the allergy is treated with regular injections of a specially prepared solution of flea saliva. Eventually, the symptoms will remain at bay, provided the injections are administered on time. The advantage of this treatment is that there are no side effects. The disadvantages of this treatment include the fairly high cost, the fact that you have to administer the injections to the animal yourself, and the fact that even after months of treatment, the results can sometimes still be disappointing.

For many animals with a flea allergy, the problems will continue to require attention for years. The condition is highly chronic. A complete recovery that does not require medication is not to be expected. However, with medication and effective flea control, it is usually possible to achieve a manageable situation for both the animal and the owner.