by sands904
on 4/27/2010 at 8:05 AM
in Fleas & Ticks
So, about 4 weeks ago Logan started biting at his feet. He has always been a scratchy dog but this was more than normal. His coat was getting pretty long so I made an appointment with the groomer to have both him and Lacey groomed hoping that would help. Well after that he was still itching and biting. I though maybe it was a seasonal allergy. My first thought was the grass since it is just now spring here. I started washing his feet every few days which didn't seem to help.
My next thought was a food allergy. All 3 of my dogs are on a mostly home-prepared diet and I thought maybe he was allergic to something he had recently. I read the ingredients on the supplement I had been giving them and there was soy in it which can cause food allergies in many dogs. I stopped giving it to Logan about 2 weeks ago but he is still biting at his feet mostly at night and in the morning but other times as well. Then on Friday I noticed a few very small bumps in his right ear. They almost looked like bites of some kind. I bought some herbal ear cleaner for infected ears and have been cleaning it out. He seems to be scratching it a little less. I put him back on his raw diet for the past 2 days. He has been getting raw a few times a week for almost a year now. I am hoping to eliminate the cause if it is a food allergy so I can determine what he is actually allergic to. I also gave him half a benedryl twice a day starting on Saturday.
Then Sunday I found a tick on Lacey. This is about the 5th one I have found so far. It was not engorged but it did look like it had been there a little longer than the last one I found on her. I pulled it off and cleaned the area with rubbing alcohol. Then Monday she woke up scratching and biting at herself. During the morning she was really scratching and running around like crazy. I looked a lot like the time we took her camping and the flies were biting a buzzing at her. So, I immediately think maybe it is fleas... I gave her half a benedryl starting on Sunday night.
I put out a big white blanket and brush through all the dogs. I found a very small particle on Lacey and put it in a wet paper towel and rub it. It has what I would consider a reddish brown appearance. Maybe it is flea dirt. I am trying to avoid running to vet for everything, especially since we were there about 6 times last month but I don't know how long to wait either. I don't want to jeopardize their health either.
I am going to keep an eye on them for today and see if they seem better. I think I am going to go get some organic/natural flea repellent and see if that helps at all...
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