Fleas allergy

Fleas are some disturbing parasites of our cats and dogs that not only cause them irritation, itch and the transmission of other inner parasites, such as tapeworms, but also cause them one of the most common allergies.

Fleas are usually harder to be detected than ticks are, besides, there is certain tendency to tolerate them better than the latter, so it is common they often affect in a greater or lesser extent to our cats and dogs, especially those which live outside and have contact with other animals.

This allergy is induced by some substances contained in the flea’s saliva. In fact, this saliva has some irritating compositions on the skin, and when they get the collagen of the skin, they form an antigen that is recognised like a strange substance by some animals and causes the appearance of some anti-bodies IgE and IgG, as well as some immediate and retarded hypersensitivity reactions. The periodic exposure to fleas can induce an allergic process that can be more common and intense than the constant exposure to them.

In dogs, skin lesions are in the legs and abdomen and consist of wounds, hyper-pigmentation, loss of hair and intense itch, and they cause compulsive bits and licks.

In cats, the lesions are in legs, head and neck.

Although several tests can be done to detect fleas, it would be enough if you observe these clinical signs in your pet animals.

This disease is very common and the first thing we say to the owners is that this problem will last forever and can be only solved by avoiding the animal gets infected with fleas. So we suggest the application of some products to prevent.

It is also very important you treat the environment with chemical products periodically to avoid the existence of parasites in the area where the animal is living.

However, my experience can tell that owners usually treat the animal only when they go into the vet’s, and then forget about this problem.