Itchy, Scratchy Puppy?

Now that you’ve gotten that perfect ball of fluff all settled in and acclimated to its new home by taking things slow over the first few weeks, you start to notice your puppy scratching. Maybe at first it’s just an occasional scratch here and there. As the days go by, that scratching becomes more persistent as their skin gets itchier. You start to wonder why and you might even worry a little. Let’s look at a few possible causes.

First, let’s eliminate one possibility: Allergies. Whether it’s to a food item (chicken, rice, oats, etc.), contact reaction (carpet fiber, grass, etc.), or airborne allergen (pollen, mold, dust, etc.), allergies take time to develop and are very rarely seen in young puppies. So, please, do not start switching out your puppy’s food or ripping up the carpet in your house.

Now, let’s look at a few possibilities that we need to check for.

Fleas - Even if your puppy has never left your home and yard, they could still get fleas. Did you take your puppy to the veterinarian in the past couple of weeks? Do the neighbors have dogs? Do rabbits and squirrels frequently pass through your yard? If so, there’s a possibility that your puppy picked up a flea or two.
Ticks - Again, even if your puppy has never left your home and yard, ticks can find their way into your yard. Do you have a wooded area or empty field in close proximity to your yard? Are there deer in the area that can walk through your yard? Squirrels? If you said “Yes” to any of these questions, thoroughly check your puppy.
Lice - Again, if you have wild animals passing through your yard, they can leave behind unwanted pests.
Mange Mites - Puppies are often born with these and it has nothing to do with how clean the puppy area was or wasn’t at the breeder’s home. In most cases, a puppy receives enough initial immunity from mom to ward off these mites. However, stress can weaken that immunity and going from living at the breeder’s home with mom and siblings to living in a new home with people it is not familiar with and sounds and smells that are new, can be very stressful for a puppy.

So, what are Mange Mites and how are they treated?

There are two different types of Mange. Sarcoptic and Demodex. Sarcoptic Mange Mites bury into the skin of healthy adult dogs and puppies and feed on material in and on the skin. Sarcoptic Mange is zoonotic, meaning it can be transferred between animals and humans. Demodex Mange Mites live in the hair follicles of dogs and are not zoonotic. While both types of mange can be a possibility, Demodex is the most common. Symptoms of mange include, but are not limited to, hair loss (usually starts in small patches), skin irritation, itchiness, lesions, scabs, and redness of skin. To determine if your puppy has mange, a trip to the veterinarian is needed as these mites are microscopic and your veterinarian will need to look at a skin scraping under a microscope for the mites.

Treatment for mange will vary depending on the type of mange and how severely the puppy or dog is affected. Since Sarcoptic Mange is zoonotic, frequent medicated baths must be given while wearing gloves, eye protection, and a waterproof apron at minimum. While medicated baths may also be used for Demodex Mange, since it is not zoonotic, they can often be done at home. Some of these products can be very harsh on a puppy’s skin though. There are alternative, more therapeutic bathing options for Demodex Mange. With the help of the Iv San Bernard team, we here at Pooch Pawlor are able to help you determine which products are best for your puppy’s situation. Whether you contact us or another groomer, if your puppy has been diagnosed with mange, you need to report this to your groomer. Especially if they’ve been to the groomer recently or have a scheduled appointment coming up. If it is Demodex Mange, some groomers may be willing to set up specific appointments to assist you with the bathing process. You must call in advance and discuss this with your groomer though. Do not just show up at an appointment with an affected puppy as you may well be turned away. Whichever option you choose to go with, be prepared for a 6 to 8 week duration of frequent baths.