About 10% of dogs or cats that have had fleas for a long time develop an allergy to flea saliva. You can see that something is wrong from the skin and the fur. There may be dermatitis or hair-loss. In other cases, there is an increased production of dandruff. The itching is severe and troublesome for the animals. The symptoms are non-specific and it is a good idea to take the pet to a veterinarian who can determine, if it suffers from flea bite allergies (or other allergies, irritation or disease). This can be done by shaving a piece of skin and exposing it to flea saliva and examine the skin’s reaction.
If the causes of the skin symptoms are flea bite allergies, flea control is necessary. Conditions, which resemble flea bite allergies, can be seen in the dog if the owner – in an attempt to eradicate the fleas – has treated the animal’s fur with excessive amounts of pesticides.
"Pests in House and Home"
"Bed Bugs - Bites, Stings and Itches"
"Food Pests"
"Husets dyreliv" (Insects Around the House - Only danish)
"Skadedyr i træ" (Timber Pests - Only danish)
"Stuefluen" (Common Housefly - Only danish)