larryfoster Posted October 21, 2016 Report Share Posted October 21, 2016 Poor Bear.He's scratching and scratching and has a lot of scabs. I'm very confident it's not a flea problem. The other collie doesn't have this problem. Bear is flea combed often and there's almost no fleas, if any. Both dogs get topical flea treatment. FYI, Bear has shorter hair and Mollie is long hair. Last year, we started giving Mollie Cod Liver Oil caps and continued with Bear. I don't know why but that seemed to help Mollie's scratching. We did it for her coat and to help her make poo easier. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloria Atwater Posted October 21, 2016 Report Share Posted October 21, 2016 It sounds like it could be some kind of allergy. Is it possible the topical flea ointment is causing this? Or if you put down any kind of lawn care products or carpet cleaner? Or do you shampoo them at all?If Molly is also having some itching problems, I'd definitely look into things that might be causing allergies. If you can't pin down some external cause, I'd look into their food. What are you feeding them?Gloria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted October 21, 2016 Report Share Posted October 21, 2016 If you're finding any fleas at all, it could mean that Bear is just more sensitive to flea bites. Some dogs are extremely sensitive to them, while others aren't so much. It also means your topical flea treatment isn't working. If it works, you shouldn't be seeing any fleas at all after a relatively short while, unless your environment is loaded with fleas and new ones keep jumping on your dogs. I'm hearing that fleas have developed a resistance to some of the topicals, especially Frontline, in some areas. So you might consider trying a different product. Most people I know have had great success with Seresto collars. They're expensive up front, but cover both fleas and ticks and last for 8 months, so not so bad in the long run. One of the cheapest places I've found for them is Chewy.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryfoster Posted October 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2016 Thanks, Gloria He had this prior to our starting treatment with the topical. Before he came, we had no problem or need for topicals and was able to go all summer without any treatment. We don't treat our lawn and have hardwood and tile in our house. Just got off the phone with the vet and they suggested Benadryl. I really hate using this stuff as well as flea poisons. since I wouldn't use this stuff on myself. But, I do As far as food, we feed 4 Health puppy chow. Not sure what he was fed before we got him. He's around 5 months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane allen Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 FWIW, fish body oil is better than cod liver oil on a regular basis. My vet nutritionist recommended Snip Tip triple strength capsules. Benedryl may provide temporary relief, enough to stop the itch/scratch cycle. But environment/food will be more likely a long-term solution. diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryfoster Posted October 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 Thanks for the info on the oil, diane. Not sure where to go on the environment/food thing. I can change food. Thought we were getting a quality food. Is there a favorite of others here? Environment may be tougher. Suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 You might have a very good quality food but your dog may be sensitive to one or more ingredients. We had a dog that was having issues and when we switched from a beef-based food to a different protein source, the problem was solved. I have a dog that is more sensitive to fleas than the average dog, and so just one flea bite results in a lot of scratching. I use a no-fragrance, no-dye detergent for sensitive skin on the dog bedding. The more sensitive, seasonal allergies dog does better with fewer of certain chemicals in his environment. Sometimes, you just have to think a little outside the box and a solution can be right there, ready to be noticed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushdoggie Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 I have a dog with flea allergies, and he needs only 1 or 2 bites to have a terrible reaction that lasts for days. My other dogs will never scratch and I won't often see a flea or much evidence of them (no visible flea dirt) but when I treated for fleas, the itching stopped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 Cod liver oil can, though it does not always, lead to excessive amounts of both vitamins A & D, which can be problematic. Most people recommend human grade fish body oils as a safer alternative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryfoster Posted October 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 Thanks everybody. We'll switch out the cod liver oil and try a different food. I was hoping that using topicals would have solved any potential flea problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryfoster Posted October 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2016 This is puzzling. Some time ago, someone bought one of those Tee shirts for my other dog. My daughter has been putting it on Bear and he doesn't scratch at all when he's wearing it. He's also had some Benadryl. But, just the shirt works better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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