Question
I am in Charlotte North Carolina in a heavily wooded area with ivy for ground cover which has run everywhere. about the only thing I do in the yard is lawnmow it. I have a dog which is continually itching and an inside cat which now continually itches we bought some flea dip or shampoo and drops for the cat and dog and bathed them ourselves & pulled a lot off the cat. The fleas are not all gone as they are still scratching, however my legs are covered with raised bumps which are red and itch alot. I've put alcohol on them and calimin lotion on but it still itches, will this go away? Are they fleas that I cannot see or have left? My wife said I would see them and she didn't but it has been a few days and now she has the same itching raise bumps, I noticed the cat(inside) slept between my legs and am thinking they are just fleas, but I am a city guy and do not know anything about the outdoors and would like to allay my fears in identifying and perhaps ruling out any bites which go untreated that may be detremental to my families health. the bumps are small like hard pimples- if you need a descriptor I would take pics but I do not think it will show up on film.

Answer
Daniel,

Your description does not sound like a flea problem because fleas are pretty easy to see on us and in pet fur during grooming. There are a number of other conditions that can cause itching and skin irritation in both pets and people.

One possibility is mange (scabies in humans) that is caused by a tiny mite that burrows under the skin. Here are links to information about mange http://www.livingwithbugs.com/mange.html in dogs and cats and scabies http://www.livingwithbugs.com/scabies.html in humans that may be useful. Both conditions can only be diagnosed by skin scrapings and examination under a microscope.

Another possibility could be poison ivy. Our dog regularly contacts poison oak (a western relative of poison ivy) then exposes us to the toxic oils she has on her coat - we all end up with the skin rash.

I think you should consult with your vet and a dermatologist to sort this out. Most of the time these skin conditions can be easily treated once a proper diagnosis is made.

Jack DeAngelis, PhD
Extension Entomologist (ret.)
My website about home and garden pests: http://www.livingwithbugs.com