Ask the Veterinarian/Puppy Hair Loss

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Expert: - 11/8/2010


Question
QUESTION: I've been fostering a litter of 3 pups since they were 2 1/2
weeks old. I bottle fed Esbilac weaning them between 6-8
weeks to Iams Smart Puppy food. They are now 12 weeks & 2
have gone to new homes. 1 has quite a bit of hair loss
around his eyes & inside the back legs. the other 2 around
the tail area. They seem to itch a bit more but not
excessively and there is NO redness, swelling, ulcers, etc.

ANSWER: What kind of dogs are these? Any time a puppy has hair loss it needs to have a skin scraping done at the vets to see if the puppy has demodectic mange. This is very common and especially in puppies that are immuno-compromised from not being with the dam and getting enough antibodies through her milk. Most of the time they get the mange mites from mom but they can lie dormant until they are older and eating solids.

In any case, hair loss needs to be checked by a vet. Contrary to what some might think, demodex does not usually have ulcers, redness or even itch. Most of the time it just shows up as a hairless area.

So a vet visit is due. They should be seeing a vet now anyway for vaccinations, heartworm prevention and worming for round, hook and whip worms.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: They are Cavalier King Charles Spaniel mixes. The rescue
person handling adoptions has started their shots & worming
and they have already been altered.

Thanks for the info!

Answer
That's excellent! Thanks for letting me know. I hope that you find the answer to this hair loss quickly before it gets systemic or spreads on the skin even further. Just remember that it's not contagious, but more than one puppy per litter can have it.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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