Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 8/14/2005

Question
Dr. Gotthelf:

 Our 2 scotties, 1, 4 months and 1, 22 mos have been treated for fleas, (the puppy brought them with him from the breeder's!) Anyhow, we treated everything we could think of , carpets,bedding, furniture, etc and the dogs had treatments at the groomer's,(flea dips and "frontline"). They are still scratching and chewing and the older dog has a few areas of broken skin. We have put Benadryl cream , anti-itch spray etc, on the areas but the scratching continues.  Is this normal for a while? Or does it mean there are still fleas on them?  I can't see any with the naked eye.  Please help!
Thanks for your time,
Kent  

Answer
Flea bites are like mosquito bites on you.  You can kill the mosquito, but the bump that itches remains.  Many times this type of flea bite dermatitis requires some steroid type of medication given either by mouth or by injection to calm down the skin from these numerous flea bites.