Help with the Itchy Puppy - Russell Vale Vets

As an owner of an itchy dog, and having to deal with that on a daily basis, I am thankful that Piper didn't show signs until she was a year old.   Granted, she had a whole heap of other medical issues in the first year of her life, but adding allergic skin disease at that time, would've been just too much.

Piper

So my heart goes out to those pet owners who have 8 to 12 week old puppies who are itchy, and just want to know why, and how to fix it quickly. 

What I try to communicate with all of these pet owners is that there are quite a few things that can cause a young puppy to be itchy, and the ideal treatment is the one directly targeted towards the cause.  As we are often dealing with very itchy puppies, it is not unusual for us to do a few simple skin tests, and treat for the most likely culprit (or even for multiple things). 

Yeast infection

What are the more common causes of itchy puppies? 
- Occult scabies

Ear Mite

- Mites
- Fleas
- Food Allergy
- Early onset Atopy (allergies to grasses, pollens, dust mites)
- Ringworm
- Yeast infections
- Bacterial infections

This is where the problem lies - some of these conditions are easy to treat and curable, such as scabies and Ringworm.

Pollen

Some of these conditions need many weeks of therapies before you start to see signs of improvement  (Food Allergies, yeast and bacterial infections)

And some of these conditions are incurable (manageable, but incurable), such as Food allergies and early onset Atopy.

Some pet owners get frustrated very easily, and chop and change therapies without giving them a decent chance to work.  And I get it!  As an owner of an itchy dog, it is frustrating that things take time to get better.

Be patient, and speak to your vet if you are not happy. We are here to help.

What are the important tests that need to be done at the vets? 

Skin scraping - this helps us look for demodex mites, and scabies.

Skin cytology -  this helps us look for fungal hyphae, Malassezia yeasts and bacteria.

Woods Lamp - this helps us look for Ringworm, as 50% of these cases will shine as green as a Granny Smith apple (50% do not, hence the need for Fungal cultures).

What about Fungal Cultures?  Possibly.  It just depends. 

What are some simple steps you can do at home?
1. Therapies against Fleas, Ticks, Mites and Lice

2. Food Trials - these are a challenge, as we need to give a novel protein diet exclusively (including no treats or flavoured medications).

3. Keeping your pet's skin protected with conditioning rinses such as Alpha Keri Oil or QV Bath Oil. There are some oatmeal based conditioners which are also good to use.

As for the rest,  that is where I come in - with a few simple tests, I formulate a strategy to help identify what can be causing the skin problem, and dispense any treatment that is needed.

Any questions? Please ask.
I am Dr Liz, the mad vet of Bellambi.