Itchy Rashes from pet allergy

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Recently I've developed pretty bad allergies to cats and dogs. We have two dogs and a cat at my house. I've recently started getting red, itchy rashes with a few bumps but the rash spreads pretty far. I seem to be getting most of them under my legs and mostly the upper part of the leg. I generally get them everywhere though.

I was wondering what kind of stuff would be good to put on the rash to relieve the itchiness? I've been making do with what I have and using unscented lotion, cocoa lotion with aloe vera and vitamin e and Goldbond powder. Is Aveeno lotion good for allergies?

First of all, is it possible that your pets could have fleas? The fact that the rash appears on the backs of your legs led me to believe that you may be sitting on surfaces that have dander and possibly flea dirt on them. I have found that I itch horribly from the flea dirt that mixes in with my cat's dander. Second, there is something called Neem ointment that may be beneficial to both your skin and that of your animals. It is safe to use on people and animals. Keep in mind that Neem oil is not the same. You must use only the ointment made from it as the oil is too harsh for some.

No, my pets definitely don't have fleas because I thought they were flea bites at first as well. My mum and I checked the pets and we didn't find any. Also, both of the dogs sleep on my parents' bed and they don't get the itchy rashes. I'm definitely allergic to them because I get an asthma like cough and wheezing when I'm around them or around a place that has pet dander. I'll definitely try the ointment that you suggested.

Yeah, it's flea bites. I had the same problem with a dog once, and some years later with a cat. The reason you are having this reaction and your parents are not is because you are allergic to flea bites. Everyone will react somewhat to flea bites, but in many people the reaction can be very mild, and even not noticeable at times. However, if you are allergic to the stuff they inject to keep the blood from clotting when they drink it, then you will have a more severe, and more noticeable reaction.

I have good news, though. Once you treat your pets for fleas, and wash bedding, curtains and drapes, you can then safely treat carpets and upholstered furniture with either baking soda or salt. This will not poison you or the pets, but will kill the fleas. Leave it on for a while and then vacuum off. You will need to reapply a couple of times over the next week or two, as the salt/baking soda won't kill the eggs. When they hatch the next application will get them. That's why it takes two or three treatments.

As to how salt/baking soda kill fleas, it's kind of gross. The salt/baking soda crystals get into and shred the joints on their bodies. This causes them to bleed to death. Don't feel sorry for them. They spread lots of misery, germs, and illness, and sometimes even death. There are always plenty more out there anyway.

I know that salt/baking soda work. Besides using it when my own pets had flea attacks, I also had to use it after a relative visited with his dog several times over the Christmas holidays one year. The trailer park where I live is infested with fleas, so the dog kept bringing them in and by the time my relative returned to his home in a neighboring state, I was getting those itchy bites again, so I did the salt/baking soda treatment again. As on previous occasions, the treatment worked.

This stuff works really good, even though it will need at least two or three applications over a couple of weeks. It is also cheap to buy, and won't harm people or pets, unless they have a cut and get the salt or baking soda in the cut. Even then, this stuff is likely to kill any germs in the cut, because it has antiseptic properties. Most life, including germs needs a narrow ph range to live. Go too far into the acid or too far into the alkaline side of the ph scale and nothing can live. The range varies for each type of life form, and even, to a lesser extent, for individuals within a species. Fortunately, we and our pets can handle salt and baking soda better than fleas can.

Now that you've had this fun science lesson, go and deal with those itch monsters.

You can't always see fleas, especially if they are just getting started. I couldn't understand why my cat was scratching so much and why I was getting itchy. There is a way of looking for fleas; have you tried blowing on the the cat or dogs fur while watching closely? Also rubbing the fur the wrong way and watching closely you may catch a flea or two running for cover. Inspect the furniture where they like to hang out. If you find little black specks, then that is flea droppings.

@questor: Thanks for that tip on baking soda and salt! My cat has fleas right now and I have been dreading having to use commercial cleaning products.