Updated: October 30, 2012 9:28AM

Q. My pup has a case of fleas. I’m trying to break her of that with weekly flea baths and the drops. What seems to be a growing problem is gratuitous flaking dry skin, caused, I’m sure, by irritation and the residuals of parasite living. She’s experiencing wide-spread hair loss and acne-like bumps and zits as well. What do you recommend?

A. Invest a few dollars in your flea-bitten darling dog. Take her to a veterinarian who can prescribe medication to purge the mites. Also, consult a medical professional about her skin condition. Dogs can develop benign lumps and bumps as they age. These skin perturbations need mapping to track changes over the years.

Importantly, you should be in charge of your dog’s food. You can do research about organic and pure foods made without corn and wheat. In a few cases, these grains get under a dog’s skin and can cause skin allergies along with much itching and flaking.

With such obvious problems as flea infestation and wide-spread hair loss accompanied by skin disease, fork out money for some medical care. You owe it to the innocent creature in your care.

Q.

My neighbor has a sweet dog he just adopted. The dog is part Jack Russell terrier ,very cute but totally deaf. I have gone online and looked up sign language for dogs. I was wondering if there was any place for classes

A. The shelter where your friend adopted the deaf dog would presumably have information about dealing with dogs who can’t hear. But there’s a wonderfully instructive resource online at deafdogs.org. This helpful site contains lots of information, including training tips, about living with a deaf dog. The site also directs you to various groups, books and a listserv for deaf dog fanciers to post. You could ask there about any classes in your specific area.

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