Connie,

We're not doing too bad. Just short on time. I'm making a promise to do the flea check this week end.

We went to the Derm Vet for check up and she found some cocci (not sure of the spelling) on paws, but not much and on the anus area.
He has about 4 or so days left of his antibiotics.
So again it is going to be how to keep the black crud away.
I'm asked her about using Comfortis 1st of month and advantix on the 15th and she was good with that. (need to find the cheapest place to find that stuff). Seems like everyone's prices are about the same in the long run.
Anyway, that way we can do more medicated baths.
We cut down his allergy shots to 2 cc and we are going to inch up on the dose. She wants to get back up to 3.5 cc but I think that will be too much. We'll see.
I'm still having a little trouble with giving the shots. He does ok with the lower dose of 2cc. But she wants him back up to the 3.5 and he jerks away even with treats awaiting him.
We're still doing all the other protocals.
Instead of using the pads I'm going to get the spray Lori talks about so I can use it on his rear area and get under all his hair where he is itching lately. Seems like if I use the pads under the tail it helps a lot with that area. He 's not licking his paws a whole lot, sometimes I think it just something to do.
I think that is everything.
Thanks for checking in.

Geri

How did the flea check go?

I can't stress enough how even one exposure can exacerbate an allergic dog's distress.

Connie,

I did find some flea dirt. So I've been reading posts on flea problems. As far as our protocals go, I think we are doing everything we are suppose to do. The only other thing I can think of is to treat the yard and give him two baths a week. Maybe a flea bath?
I'm going to add yohurt and look into the supplement that Anne is talking about.
Frazier's itching has been probably up to a 7 or 8 lately. Even with lowering his dose of allergy shot.
Also if I'm not mistaken, I believe his itching got worst after his dose of advantix. I'm going to change that to Frontline plus.
Also I'm doing another round of every other day of steriod.
He is finished with last round of antibiotics.
Derm vet said ok for Comfortis 1st of month and a spot on 15th of month.
I'm so afraid the black crud will come back again.
So that is where we are right now.

Hi Geri,
I just wanted to add, all dog shampoo will kill fleas, simply by leaving the suds sit for 5- 10 minutes. They suffocate, so no need to go buy specific flea shampoo.
All that you are giving the dog for fleas is more than enough to do the job.

 Quote: Geri Gill

Connie,

I did find some flea dirt. So I've been reading posts on flea problems. As far as our protocals go, I think we are doing everything we are suppose to do. The only other thing I can think of is to treat the yard and give him two baths a week. Maybe a flea bath?
I'm going to add yohurt and look into the supplement that Anne is talking about.
Frazier's itching has been probably up to a 7 or 8 lately. Even with lowering his dose of allergy shot.
Also if I'm not mistaken, I believe his itching got worst after his dose of advantix. I'm going to change that to Frontline plus.
Also I'm doing another round of every other day of steriod.
He is finished with last round of antibiotics.
Derm vet said ok for Comfortis 1st of month and a spot on 15th of month.
I'm so afraid the black crud will come back again.
So that is where we are right now.

Finding flea dirt of course means the dog is being exposed to fleas, and this can really set back your whole allergy regimen with a dog who suffers from flea saliva dermatitis (and you'll find in small-animal derm manuals and derm vet sites that allergic dogs suffer from flea hypersensitivity FAR more often than dogs who do not have atopy).

It's not just the bite site.

Succinct and true:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flea_allergy_dermatitis

My Merck manual:

"Pet owners should also conduct mechanical control. Helpful procedures include washing pet blankets, throw rugs, and pet carriers; in addition, pet sleeping and resting areas should be vacuumed thoroughly to help remove flea eggs and larvae. Seat cushions and pillows on sofas and chairs should be removed and vacuumed, and special attention should be given to crevices in sofas and chairs and to areas beneath sofas or beds where flea eggs and feces may drop from the pet and accumulate."

All this needs to be done (ideally) while the animal is in the bath, to cover all bases. So I treat this as a two-person operation, or I have the dog outside while I do all this, and then zip him inside in my arms to the prepared tub, where I keep him for at least as long as the shampoo recommends. (This is a good time for some fun marker work, including rewards. )

I do the bath exactly as recommended, making a ring of suds around his neck first so no fleas can dash up to his ears, top of head, etc., to escape the water and suds.

When I have rinsed thoroughly at the end, the dog comes out of the tub to the just-de-flea'd house (and carpet and furniture and bedding, etc.) to be treated with the topical if that's what I'm using.

For non-allergic dog, it works pretty well for the flea stuff to kill the flea when the flea bites. For the atopic dog, that bite can wreak havoc all over, including between his toes; it's a whole different story. Yes, the body geography (of the bites)can be a huge pointer to whether he has fleas (base of tail, backbone, etc.), but the effect is not limited to the bitten area(s).

I'm making myself a note to dig up some of the threads about keeping the home flea-free for the allergic dog (FAR more vigilance needed than for the non-allergic dog).

It took me many years and a lot of reading and experience to learn how flea exposure can screw up your careful records. If the dog is being exposed, then trying to determine what is working and what isn't becomes a big guessing game.

PS

I agree with Joyce:

.... just wanted to add, all dog shampoo will kill fleas, simply by leaving the suds sit for 5- 10 minutes.


The important part, IMO, is not to allow the fleas time (and it takes only a zillionth of a second) for the little bassids to jump up to the head to survive.

This means for me that my first action is to create a wide band of lather from the shoulders to the chin before submerging the dog up to that band.

And then the dog is in the tub for a good long time. This is a good time for anti-fungal or anti-bacterial shampoos to be lathered up and allowed to be on the dog for a beneficial length of time. I lather it up, play some marker games, ann a little water to the suds on him and lather it up again, etc.

I rinse with plenty of clean faucet water (not the water in the tub), using a big 1-quart plastic measuring cup with a handle or other unbreakable container,and pour over and over (including kind of upward-pouring on the armpits, etc.). Then the dog stands on his back legs with forepaws on the edge so I can rinse the front well.

I line the tub with a thick towel first for no-slip help (but one of those grippy pads would work too).

This takes a while. But this actually mechanically rids him of fleas, if done carefully, while the house is likewise treated.



PS
If you have a vacuum cleaner with a bag, I recommend removing the bag outdoors and discarding it in the outdoor barrel/dumpster.

Amen and amen to what Connie just said.

I wouldn't even go to the trouble to do yogurt and supplements until I had the fleas completely under control! Sure, supplements and things are great, but you'll never know if they are really doing anything if you even have ONE flea bite on that dog. One bite causes Kasey to go after himself like he's not on any allergy program at all...

Thanks everyone for your help. Good tips on giving the bath correctly. We do vacuum a lot but probably need to do it everyday.