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01-28-2012, 10:18 PM | #1 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Michigan
Posts: 747
| Very itchy I have a feeling that this may just be related to the air being so dry this winter but I just want some opinions on this situation. To start, about a week ago before I was leaving for work, I was petting Sasha and kept finding these small black specks on her. At first I thought she had just gotten into something, but as I kept finding more I began to suspect that it was flea dirt. As soon as I thought of that, I felt what I thought was a bump on her so I moved her fur to see what it was and the "bump" moved away and I wasn't able to grab it. To me, it looked bigger than what I thought a flea should look like, but then again I've never had a flea problem so I wouldn't have known. When I got home from work that evening, I decided to bathe her just to be on the safe side. I used Dawn dish soap and actually scrubbed her twice with it. I've heard some people mention that the Dawn dish soap will remove fleas from the dog not necessarily killing them but at least getting them off of the dog. I never saw any notice of fleas in the water at all. I dried her off and brushed her out and began searching through her fur again. I didn't see any black specks. I turned her over to check in her pits and saw the bug I saw earlier crawling down her belly. I was able to grab it this time, kill it and threw it in a bag. The next day, I took it over the Petsmart (I used to work there) and showed a fellow associate the bug and she confirmed that it was indeed a flea. I bought some k9 Advantix and applied it to her once I got home. I vacuumed the entire house, furniture, washed all the blankets and bedding she had ever laid on and the vacuum was emptied outside. Sasha had never shown any indication that she ever had fleas. She never scratched anymore than any normal dog would. Now, it seems like ever since I bathed her in the dish soap, she seems more itchier than usual. She rubs up against the furniture more often than she has before and just this afternoon, I noticed that she actually scratched or more or less irritated a spot on her back/side from scratching. She hasn't broken skin but I can tell that the spot does seem a little tender to the touch as her skin does flinch slightly sometimes when I search for the spot. Could I have just dried her skin out from the Dish soap? I know the air in our house has been horribly dry, I mean my mouth, throat and lips are constantly dry as well (gosh I hate winter). I check her over all the time everyday looking to see if there's more fleas or even checking for flea dirt and haven't found any. I put the Advantix on and I know it's supposed to kill everything so I really don't think it's fleas. Her fur is longer than usual as well so I'm sure that isn't helping her. She really needs to be groomed I'm beginning to wonder if she needs to go to the vet but I don't really want to have to put her on medication for itching especially since she has never had an issue before. I do have some oatmeal shampoo but I don't know if it's too soon to bathe her again as I don't want to irritate her skin even more. Sorry for the long post but all opinions are greatly appreciated. |
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01-29-2012, 01:45 AM | #2 |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: USA
Posts: 4,514
| hi , well it could be a couple things. the dish liquid could have made her itchy. maybe an allergic reaction to the advantix? if she has never had it before. my suggestion would be a trip to the vet for a check up.... hope she feels better soon... |
01-29-2012, 08:25 AM | #3 |
Action Jackson ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Maryland
Posts: 17,814
| Dawn liquid could have definitely made her more itchy. I did this a little while ago with Jackson - he was a bit more itchier than usual, and I thought it was odd. I did also find almost speck dirt looking things on his belly, but never any fleas, and he was on Frontline at the time. He was also licking at his butt a lot for a few nights, and it was not the anal glands. I have no idea, but I attributed it to food... I had just switched him to a new food and we were on the 2nd bag when this started... it did not go away until a week of being on a new grainfree food. It could have been coincidence but he hasn't been itchy since. So I am not really sure... could have even just been the weather, I suppose....
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01-29-2012, 09:55 AM | #4 | |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Michigan
Posts: 747
| Quote:
This was the first time I have ever used advantix on her. I've always used frontline in the past, but what drew me to advantix was the fact that it not only kills everything but also repels against it. Plus, it helps with mosquitoes and they get really bad around here in the summer. I applied it in 3 places along her back like the box instructed but she isn't really reacting by any of those places. There just seems to be one particular spot that she is irritated with and I'm sure now since she happened to scratch herself she's even more irritated with it I will probably be taking her to the vet soon if it doesn't seem to clear up. Like I said, her fur is rather longer than normal to so that makes it difficult for even me to see down to her skin. | |
01-29-2012, 09:58 AM | #5 | |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Michigan
Posts: 747
| Quote:
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01-29-2012, 10:26 AM | #6 |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: USA
Posts: 4,514
| You are quite welcome . It is hard to say with these little ones . Maybe she has the beginning of a hot spot. That will make here itchy too well i hope she feels better soon. |
01-29-2012, 05:50 PM | #7 | |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Michigan
Posts: 747
| Quote:
I'm beginning to wonder now if she is indeed reacting to the Advantix. Then again, her only symptom really is just itching and I've searched and searched through her coat and haven't found anything. She also just has one spot on her where it looks like she scratched herself. I was reading some reviews of Advantix and it looks like a lot of dogs seem to have a reaction to it, not saying that is what's going on here but it definitely is on my mind. I've always used Frontline in the past and am now wondering if maybe I should have gotten Advantage instead? I want to at least try 1 more month but I'm a little hesitant to now. | |
01-29-2012, 06:15 PM | #8 |
www.yorkierescue.com Donating Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Las Vegas & Orange County
Posts: 17,408
| Did you use any conditioner after the Dawn? My hands are always very dry after doing dishes, imagine if you used it as a body wash! I would put some coconut oil on the irritated spot until you can get to the vet. Uni was also really itchy. More than usual. The vet gave her a steroids shot and some antihistamines along w mediated shampoo. We don't know what she got so itchy, but she hasn't been itching since we got back from the vet. Hope your baby feels better soon. |
01-29-2012, 08:29 PM | #9 | |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Michigan
Posts: 747
| Quote:
I didn't use a conditioner afterwards. I didn't realize how strong the Dawn would be on her skin much less ours! She really needs a haircut so when I take her to her groomer, I'm going to see if she has a special kind of shampoo or soothing shampoo that she can use. The irritated spot seems to have gotten better since the other day. She still seems to be brushing up against the furniture though. I'm really hoping that it was just the Dawn that dried out her skin and not the Advantix because the Advantix really seemed to work well. Thank you | |
01-30-2012, 02:14 AM | #10 |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: USA
Posts: 4,514
| Hi , it is certainly your decision but i would not give here anymore baths or put anything else on her for awhile. Maybe your vet could give you some special mild medicated shampoo . You could skip a month on the flea preventative then go back to the frontline but only use a 1/2 dose the first time well good luck . Hope she feels better soon |
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