Your pet has fleas. This is the most common cause of itching and dermatologic skin conditions in cats and dogs. To tackle the flea population at home I recommend implementing flea prevention/treatment. One of the following medications are recommended:

For dogs:
Simparica- oral flea/tick treatment/preventative given once every month
Bravecto- oral flea/tick treatment/preventative given once every 12 weeks. Must be given with food for full efficacy.

Topical flea medication (frontline/ advantix/ vectra 3D- topical flea/tick preventative given once every month (these are generally less effective than oral medications)

For cats:
Revolution plus- topical flea/tick/mite/intestinal parasite medication- applied to skin once monthly
Bravecto- topical flea/tick preventative applied to skin every 12 weeks.

Flea baths, although soothing to the skin, do not provide any lasting flea treatment/prevention. They are only effective while the cat/dog is being bathed with the product. If your pet is itchy, however, I do recommend bathing 2-3 times weekly with a soothing shampoo until we can make a dent in the flea population. We can also consider prescription anti-itch medication if bathing is not enough. 

It takes a minimum of 3 months to stop the life cycle of a flea population so regular prevention is important. Regular vacuuming of carpets and furniture and washing any fabrics possible on the hot cycle will help some with decreasing the population, but ultimately preventative on all the pets in the household is the most important and effective method of ridding a flea infestation. You can also use environmental treatments (knockout spray) to help decrease the flea population or an exterminator to treat the outside environment.

How do I get my pet scheduled?
If your pet is an existing patient of Local Mobile Vet, simply fill out the appointment request form, and we will reach out to get an appointment scheduled.

If we have never seen your pet before, fill out the New Client Form and we will reach out to help you determine if we are the right fit for you and your pet.