Doctor Pup: Hi Jackie let me review your history and I will be right back
Jackie: ok, thank you.
Doctor Pup: Where is the hair loss? Was that present when he saw your vet?
Jackie: im not really seeing bald spots on the puppy, i'm just seeing the loss of hair all over my apartment. and he itches a lot. he was itching right when i got the pup, so i took him to my vet the very next day. they checked him for fleas/ticks and it was negative. they thought it might be mites in his ear, so they gave me ear drops, but that's not the case because he's only itching his body.
Jackie: mostly his left and eight side right above his legs. mid-body
Doctor Pup: When was the Frontline applied?
Jackie: yesterday 2/13
Jackie: i took him to the vet last thursday, 2/6
Doctor Pup: One plausible explanation is due to a microscopic skin mite call Sarcoptes canis. Frontline is effective against this mite but it takes time. Many times the itching will increase during the first week after application because the puppy reacts more strongly to dying mites. Then the itching will start to steadily improve. Dryness related to all the changes he has had can also cause itching but not usually much in the way of bald spots.
Jackie: My vet suggests that I bring him in tomorrow for a skin test. Do you suggest that?
Doctor Pup: He is probably talking about a skin scraping which we then look for mites under a microscope. Many times with Sarcops it can take multiple scrapings before you see one. Giving this a few more days to see what happens would be fine.
Jackie: is that similar to fleas where i'll need to clean my entire house to get rid of them? he's been on my couch, around other dogs at my parents, etc.?
Doctor Pup: No these mites spend their life cycle on the dog, there can be transient itching or rash on your skin but the mite cannot survive in human skin so it only lasts a couple days and is usually only minor isolated spots, don't worry about it just wanted you to know. Exposure to other dogs should be limited until you see which way this goes.
Jackie: am i able to bathe him even though i put the front line on yesterday? is 10 weeks too small for bathing?
Doctor Pup: It is best to wait 2 days after frontline before bathing, after that any time is good for him
Jackie: great, thank you. one more thing - do you have any potty training advice? i'm trying crate training this weekend where i'm having a set schedule. keeping him in his crate and letting him out at small intervals of time for potty/playtime/feeding. do you find that effective for outdoor training?
Doctor Pup: If outdoor training is your goal the more you have him outside the better, unfortunately a couple days is only the beginning. There are several videos in the "Training Tips" category on Doctorpup.com you can also search the forum for "potty" and review previous discussions.
Jackie: thank you. i think that's it. have a great day.
Doctor Pup: Glad to help anytime
Category: Common Conditions