How to Treat a Dog Flea Bite

Fido comes from his outdoor endeavor. You find his behavior a bit odd. He is continuously scratching behind his ears or trying to bite off his tail. On closer observation you find some black dust like particles sticking to his hair. And suddenly, you find a little thing running for cover under Fido's thick coat. Your doubts have all been laid to rest. Fido has bought home uninvited and undesirable friends, dog fleas! They are blood sucking parasites that feed off warm blood from dogs and cats. They are also capable of biting humans, and you will soon find kids in the house busy scratching just like Fido. Of the kinds of fleas, there are three who can cause irritation and itchiness in humans. They include Ctenocephalides felis (cat flea), Ctenocephalides canis (dog flea) and Pulex irritans (human flea). As we are talking of Fido and his problems, we shall concentrate on how to treat a dog flea bite.

As I have already mentioned, dog fleas are very well capable of occasionally chomping on human skin. So, we shall discuss dog flea bite treatment for humans and their canine friends in the following paragraphs. However, I shall first cover information related to dogs before I move on to humans. Without much ado, let us get into the details of dog flea bite remedies.

A Succinct on Flea Bite in Dogs

A closer look on the dogs skin and you will find tiny puncture wounds. They are nothing but marks left after a nasty flea bite. This causes the skin to turn red and itchy for a really long time. A flea releases anticoagulants in its saliva that helps prevent the blood from coagulating. Thus, it can have an uninterrupted supply of free-flowing blood. The saliva causes irritation, inflammation and lumps on the skin. This causes the dog to continuously itch the area of bite. Flea bites lead to allergic dermatitis, secondary bacterial infections and in extreme cases severe anemia. They can even transfer tapeworm eggs into the dogs digestive system. This causes the dog to develop an internal parasitic infection. Soon, the dog will become weak, lethargic, breathless and suffer from many health problems.

Dog Flea Bite: Symptoms

• The dog continuously scratches, bites, nibs and licks this body, especially around the tail end
• Tiny red lumps or bumps observed on the dog skin
• Hair loss in patches
• Intense itching causing pain and discomfort to the animal
• Secondary bacterial skin infections due to excessive biting and scratching of the skin

Dog Flea Bite: Remedies
You need to give your dog a nice bath with cold water. Not very cold water, but normal tap water will do. It will help in reducing the inflammation and give relief to the dog from the continuous itch. There are many anti-flea shampoos and soaps available in pet stores that you can use to get rid of the fleas. You can visit a veterinarian who may apply dog flea bite medications, and help alleviate the inflammation as well as itchiness. You can even apply a bit of pure aloe vera gel over the flea bite to heal the skin and reduce irritation. Lesions formed can be treated by application of prescription steroid ointments or hydrocortisone creams.

A Succinct on Flea Bite in Humans

Flea bite irritation on human skin follows the same principle as in dogs. The enzymes present in the saliva of the flea cause intense itchiness and pain. Many people often get confused with dog flea bites on their skin as heat rash. This is because fleas are most active during summer. But, if you are a pet owner and your dog is carrying fleas, that indicates it maybe flea bite. If you observe these tiny red bumps in children, then getting rid of fleas in your house and dogs becomes your priority.

Dog Flea Bite: Symptoms

• Flea bites on children and adults are extremely itchy
• The flea bites appear as tiny red spots on the skin
• Flea bites generally appear on the feet and legs as these parts are more easily accessible for fleas. However, it is possible to observe flea bites on other parts of the body as well.
• Sensitive or hypersensitive skin may form large welts. These welts are very painful, feel hot to touch and cause a burning sensation.
• Fleas tend to remove excessive blood waste from their body while they feed. The flea poop contains bacteria that can spread into the broken skin due to excessive scratching. This leads to secondary infections that require antibiotic treatment.

Dog Flea Bite: Remedies
Let us now learn how to treat dog flea bites on humans. You will need to take oral antihistamine medications to reduce the intense itchiness. You can even apply hydrocortisone creams and topical anti-itch creams to get some relief. A warm oatmeal bath will also prove to be relaxing. Application of calamine lotion is also a good idea to reduce the swelling, itchiness and irritation. You can even apply an ice pack to the flea bites. It will help reduce the redness, lumps and inflammation. Avoid scratching as it may lead to bacterial infections. Use antiseptic lotions and soaps to keep your skin clean.

In order to avoid flea bite on dogs and humans, you need to carry out a pest control for your house. Only this will ensure all the fleas and flea eggs are destroyed completely. Take your dog to the veterinarian regularly and get him treated for fleas. Fleas can lead to tapeworm infection even in kids who do not wash their hands properly after playing with the dog. In order to avoid such scenarios, make sure Fido is 'flea free'. This was all about how to treat a dog flea bite. Make sure your keep anti-flea shampoos, soaps and flea collars around the house. They will prove to be very useful in treating Fido the minute he walks home with unwanted guests on his back.