I have an Old English Sheepdog. For the past couple of flea seasons she has been so itchy, red skinned, and even losing fur.

We give her Frontline Flea treatments for her weight and even increased the dosage to once every three weeks.

I took her to the vet where she was given antibiotics, steroids and a benadryll type of medicine.

She improved immediately, including growing her hair right back. But once the dosage decreased (or she finished one of the pills - it may have been the steroid) she went right back to scratching!

The vet said that my OES seems to be very allergic, so to speak, to fleas and just a bit can drive her skin crazy.

Any ideas to keep these fleas off of her? I feel terrible for her.

__________________
Lora & Dr. Julia
Let's face it. You don't know what you're doing.
Ask Dr. Julia!
http://www.advice-with-dr-julia.com

Hi,

Have you considered a different flea treatment. I dont think frontline is as effective as it used to be, probably why it's sold in stores now. Has the vet not mentioned any?

Lots here use a supplement called Billy no mates from CSJ. It comes in powder or tincture its taken internally and detracts fleas. I find bathing mine in 50/50 pantene 2 in 1 and dettol works and I havent used frontline yet this summer. I am also trying diatomaceous earth. Its a powder that kills all creepy crawlies in (worms) and out. I mix a teasp with water in a spray bottle and spray thro her coat.
Hope you find something that works. I think I would try a different prescription only, flea treatment to try and get the situation under control first

__________________

"Life is mostly froth and bubble, Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage in your own”

What you're saying about Frontline changing, I don't doubt. Isn't that done to almost ALL products anymore? They, I suppose, want to increase profits, so they cut back on the quality of their ingredients. Go figure!

Doing this actually cuts their profits because people like you and I simply stop buying it altogether.

Now, back on topic

The vet did tell me about another product. It was double the price of Frontline, which I wouldn't object to paying if it worked.

But the vet didn't impress upon me that it would work any better. That and coupled with the fact that my OES had a recent Frontline treatment and couldn't use it anyway, I didn't purchase it.

I guess I'll give the vet a call and try this new stuff. For now, I have been giving my OES garlic to try to make the fleas hate her

__________________
Lora & Dr. Julia
Let's face it. You don't know what you're doing.
Ask Dr. Julia!
http://www.advice-with-dr-julia.com

I think brewers yeast is also something you can feed to deal with the little blighters.

__________________

"Life is mostly froth and bubble, Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage in your own”

I'm assuming that you have washed all tour dogs bedding etc so he cant be re infected, but I am just wondering, are you sure it is a flea allergy and not something else? Does the dog have flea dirt on him when you comb him?

There are a few natural remedies that seem to work quite well at keeping fleas at bay.

A Neem Oil based shampoo is good, and it seems to be great for the dogs coat too - Bobs is lovely and soft after his bath.

Garlic and Brewers Yeast added to hid diet could help.

You can also make home made flea sprays using equal parts water and white vinegar, or you can dose your dogs collar with essential oils (get good quality ones). A few drops og lemongrass, peppermint or lavendar can work and tyou can also make a spray with these in and spray your dogs coat with it.

There's some useful info on that here -

How to make natural flea repellant for your pets

__________________

are you sure it is fleas and not another summer allergy. My young bitch is very itchy but definitely does not have fleas. I am finding a piriton tablet at night is helping a bit - I think she would benefit from one in the morning too but it makes her too sleepy.

ploddingon, That is some great info and thanks for the link. I really hate to use pharmaceutical meds and rarely if ever do.

PS I love vinegar! It does so much neat stuff. I never would have thought to spray my Peeps (OES) with it.

Blitz, No, I am not completely sure if it's fleas or allergies! You are hard pressed to find a flea on Peeps.
But once, when I was totally convinced that she didn't have fleas and that it was indeed an allergy, I found one on her.

The vet said that it may be an allergy, but the fact that Peeps scratches and looses hair on the butt, leads her to believe it's fleas.

The vet said flea meds won't prevent a "flea bite". So, should a flea simply hop on Peeps, take a bite, hop off and die, if Peeps is extra sensitive she could scratch herself crazy anyway (?)

That's why I am trying to get her to eat enough garlic to ward off even full fledged vampires LOL

But I'm not totally convinced that Peeps is not suffering from some sort of allergy. It's hard to say. We live in the country on a little farm. Lots of six legged critters and plenty of weeds and plants to be allergic to. Sigh.

__________________
Lora & Dr. Julia
Let's face it. You don't know what you're doing.
Ask Dr. Julia!
http://www.advice-with-dr-julia.com