My dog has been very itchy and seems to have dandruff patches that look more yellowish running up the spine of his back. I am nervous he has fleas. He is on Bravecto. When brushing him I saw a bug on the counter and am now very worried it is indeed fleas
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It's hard to say but looking at the photo, that doesn't look like a flea. In general, Bravecto is a very good flea prevention. You may want to start brushing Jack with a flea comb to see if you find any fleas. Concentrate around his lower back, tail and between his hind legs. pet can itch for many reasons including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Jack wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.
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