my dog chews at himself i have got rid of his fleas but he wont stop what do i do?

Question

i also have cats and i have gotton rid of there fleas too

Answer 1

The animals don't have fleas but did you treat the house? One thing I learned working at the vets office is that every flea you see equals up to 5,000 fleas and flea eggs in the carpet

Answer 2

Not everything that itches has to do with fleas!

To keep medicating him is just adding poison to him - poison he doesn't need. Something is irritating him and that's the key. Since the possibilities aree endless, try to get him him over the sensitivity to whatever it is. That means give him a child's benadryl.

I have a pomeranian that used to scratch himself endlessly - and I knew there were no fleas on him nor in the house. My vet suggested trying him on benadryl for a few days to see if the scratching stopped or at least slowed down. It did. Now he gets one tablet every other day and is free from scratching himself raw.

Now, you have another problem - he has likely made a sore where he has been scratching himself. As that heals, it will itch. Most pet shops will carry "Sulfodene" or "Scratchex" both made by Farnam. Dab a little on the sores. They work the way hyrdrocortisone cream works on an itch people might have. Don't use anything for people because dogs will lick at themselves and these two products were made with that in mind.

Scratchex is actually a flea and tick medicated shampoo, but you can use it as an anti-itch oitment, too.

I hope this helps.

Answer 3

You may have gotten rid of the fleas on the animals but chances are the fleas are in the furniture and, if you have them, rugs/carpets. Fleas can get everywhere. They may also be where your animal(s) sleep like a bed or a kennel. I don't know what to suggest to you at that point, but it's just a thought. I would take it back to the vet and see if maybe the fleas returned already, if they have then the vet may say the same thing, but if he doesn't you should just explain the situation to him.

Answer 4

He may be alergic to the flea bite like my dog.....they will just tear there skin off because it itches so much.....take him to the vet and ask if they can tell if he is alergic to the bite also 95% of the fleas live everywhere else but the dog so have a big clean and empty the hoover bag, replace pillows that kind of thing, thats the advice my vet gave me but still go to the vets to outrule something more serious like a nerve disorder

Answer 5

Lots of times dogs will have allergies and will scratch and bite because of the reaction, especially ears and front paws and legs.
First thing is to check the ingredients of his food. Most grocery store pet foods (and even some big brand names that cost a lot) have wheat, corn or soy in them. THESE ARE BAD. They cause reactions in more animals than you think.

Also watch out for BHA/BHT, salt, sugars (glucose/frutose). These may not cause serious problems by themselves but if his food has them it means it's very poor quality and he isn't getting the nutrition he needs.

There are a lot of good quality foods out there that help with allergies. Expect to pay more per bag, but since it's a higher quality food, you'll feed less and the bag will last longer.

If it is a food allergy it won't go away right away. It can take up to 6 months if a dog is badly affected, so be patient! He'll thank you for it!!

Answer 6

One thing is clear.there is a reason for it. Try and give him/her an insecticidal bath and treat any "chewed" area with saline (salt/water 1:10) solution. It may be an allergic reaction to the flea stuff !!! If it does not settle within 14 days, seek advice from your Vet. Good Luck.

Answer 7

I had a lurcher dog who was exactly doing the same. he developed a rash from biting and it turned out that he had rolled in either Fox's feces, or tree mushroom saps, which caused an allergy he never got rid of so he had to have medication cream to keep irritation at bay. but must treat with frontline regually, and carpet guard around all edges of room and over to combat all.

Answer 8

When dogs chew themselves it is sometimes because they are bored, especially the more intelligent dogs.
If this is not the case take it to the vet as it could have a disorder.
I did have this problem with my dog and it had a health problem soon sorted but it was also a highly intelligent dog and was bored too.

Answer 9

If there is no fleas maybe your dog has dry skin, or sometimes animals are allergic to fleas. I would take my dog to the vet and see what is going on.

Answer 10

Try a product called Bitter Apple. It can be applied to where the dog is chewing. It tastes really bad and should deter the chewing.
If that doesn't work the vet may have to give the dog a steroid like Prednisone for the itching.