Skin reaction to Frontline.....

[Vicki]

Has anyone else had this problem with their dog? My 9 year old Pom, Huey, always gets itchy after I apply Frontline to him. This usually last a week or two and then things are fine. But the most recent dose made him itchy but the itchiness hasn't gone away and it's been almost a month. Plus...the area where I applied the Frontline has little dark scab like things on it. The skin is not pink or red, the fur is not falling out but these little scab things are there and appear to be spreading a bit. He's going to the vet tomorrow evening and I'm going to ask about it but I wondered if any other dog has had a similar reaction.

[davet]

never heard of it, but then there are a lot of things I have never heard of...Please repost when you find out

[Traci]

With any topical application, there is always a risk for skin sensitivity.

It could be something else entirely, your vet can take a skin scrape and look at it under a slide exam or do a culture on it if he feels it's appropriate.

[Vicki]

Well...the vet wasn't too concerned about it. Said it looked like the skin there was producting extra oil and mixing with any dry skin flakes that were there. He said if I wanted to I could put some cortizone cream to help the itch but recommended that time will probably take care of it. We also discussed using a different flea control next season....and talked about using Frontline spray instead of the direct dose on the skin. I'm really hooked on Frontline - it's worked 100% perfect since I started it back in the mid 1990s so I really don't want to switch to a different brand unless it becomes really necessary. Little Huey isn't constantly itching - just once in a while so I'll keep watching him and checking the area. Maybe bathe him with some dog shampoo that has aloe or other skin soothing things in it. Anyway....I'm thinking he'll be fine in a while. I'll let you know.

[momPaws]

Hope it clears up soon. I love that name Huey- cute

[k9Karen]

I have one that is sensitive to the product, and the area of application becomes red. I think it burns her skin a bit, because she 'complains' almost immediately. The inflammation subsides within a couple of days. I only apply it to Allie when absolutely necessary. If I can keep fleas off the other two, she rarely gets them, so I usually only have to treat her, at most, twice a year. I have gone as long as 2 years without needed to treat.

Two thoughts:

Skin sensitivity: If the area of application becomes inflamed, it is temporary, but you can apply some cortisone ointment to the area to reduce the inflammation if needed.

Fleas: If your dog has any fleas when you apply the Frontline, they become very hyper as the product begins to take effect. This can result in increased biting until they die, which will cause the dog to experience increased itchiness. If your dog also has a flea allergy, even one flea doing the biting will cause all-over itchiness. If this is the problem, talk to your vet about the possibililty of using Benadryl or another antihistamine product to reduce or prevent the allergic reaction until the fleas are gone.