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There is a stray dog in my area and he has fleas. He scratches the area behind his ears, neck and lower back a lot and he has open wounds now in those areas. He also sometimes bleeds if he over scratches. I was going spray lemon juice water mixture but I'm afraid that would create a burning sensation in the open wounds. I also have a spray for fleas but I'm concerned it will irritate the wounds too.

So is there anything else that won't irritate his open wounds, perhaps even help to heal the wounds, along with getting rid of the fleas?

Zaralynda
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Megh Gandhi
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1 Answers1

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You can buy flea drops from the pet store and apply them to the skin behind the neck. See, for example, http://www.wikihow.com/Apply-Advantage-to-Dogs. However, this does not protect the stray dog from more serious conditions, such as rabies. Rabies would also be a danger to other people and animals. Therefore, the best solution would be to take the dog to a shelter. You can call the shelter and ask for assistance with this.

aparente001
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  • thanks but will it burn on his wounds?? – Megh Gandhi May 02 '15 at 16:49
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    No, because you'll be applying a small amount of liquid to a healthy patch of skin. - - - I would like to stress that if there is a shelter where you live, they will be able to give the dog full medical care. – aparente001 May 02 '15 at 22:18
  • Really? Were able to get him to a shelter? Did you buy the drops, and apply them at home? Are you seeing a gradual calming? - - - What country are you in -- do dogs have to wear rabies tags there? – aparente001 May 03 '15 at 13:22
  • He's calm now and I asked a vet about that "advantage" and it is not available in India..He gave me a powder for fleas which will not burn on his wounds...and there is no such thing as rabies tag in india...NGOs here are useless... I cant move him to a shelter as he is sort of like my dog...He and his litter mates were raised by me since they were 1 month old puppies.. – Megh Gandhi May 04 '15 at 14:02
  • I see. Thanks for explaining. Well, when the dog is very itchy and unquiet, you can give him a cool bath. Please get the dog an operation so he doesn't father more dogs. Please get him a rabies vaccination and any other vaccinations the vet recommends for your area. If he sleeps inside, wash any bedding that can be washed, and put the flea powder or the spray on other materials (after cleaning as well as possible). The fleas have laid eggs. Please also treat other dogs he comes into close contact with. It sounds like you have a loyal friend. – aparente001 May 04 '15 at 15:41
  • its not possible to give him a wash as he is scared of water...i cant grab him for a long time...if i do then he starts crying or sometimes gets aggressive ..unfortunately he has a big wound on his head 'cause of over scratching...i tried giving him an antiseptic which doesnt burn on open wounds but it seems like he doesnt like it....I guess i should call the big guys now...like PETA 'cause its getting critical day by day...and as being a 13 year old i cant do much about vaccination as it is really costly here and i dont to involve my parents in dog stuff as they dont like pets... – Megh Gandhi May 05 '15 at 18:02
  • @MeghGandhi, thanks for giving more information. Well, for the open wound, a little antibiotic ointment would be better than an antiseptic. If you can get some help from an animal rescue organization, that would be great. I can see you're an animal lover, so perhaps you'll want to get involved with the organization's work in some way. – aparente001 May 07 '15 at 00:14