What kind of problems can fleas cause?
Fleas are annoying to both humans and dogs, but they can also cause serious health problems. Some dogs are allergic to the flea’s saliva. Rather than developing little “bug bites” like most dogs and people, they break out in large welts and present with severe skin irritation and excessive shedding–the irritation results in your dog licking and biting at the site, which often leads to infection. This is called flea allergy dermatitis. It is a self perpetuating cycle because the more your dog licks and bites at the affected area, the worse the irritation gets and the more he will want to lick and bite. This cycle can be halted by getting rid of the fleas, and putting an Elizabethan collar on your dog so he cannot worsen the problem while it heals Fleas carry several types of internal parasites. Flea larvae feed on tapeworm eggs which then makes the flea a carrier of the parasite. As your dog grooms, he can ingest an infected flea and become infected himself. The tapeworm attaches itsel
