Diablo scratching raw patches, no fleas visible anywhere on him
Combed through his coat thoroughly, checked his bedding, nothing. Still got these irritated, almost raw spots along his lower back and tail base. Vet mentioned flea allergy dermatitis as a possibility, apparently a single bite can set it off even without a visible infestation. Wish I'd known that sooner instead of assuming no fleas seen meant no flea problem at all.
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Poor Diablo, that sounds so uncomfortable for him. Glad the vet caught what it actually was instead of you having to keep guessing on your own
Confirms what the vet told you. One bite is enough. Full home treatment usually needed, not just the dog. Listing page here if anyone's researching the breed generally: https://allinpets.com/pets/dogs/german-shepherd/
Classic FAD pattern, lower back and tail base is exactly where it typically shows up, and yeah a single bite is enough to trigger the reaction in a sensitized dog. Solid new resource on this exact thing just published: https://allinpets.com/blog/dogs/flea-allergy-dermatitis-in-dogs-signs-causes-and-treatment-64/