My 8-week puppies scratch from fleas and won't sleep. What to do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That is not normal. This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. This may also be mange and usually this is differentiated on a physical exam and basic cytology. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hello. Scratching in such a young dog is probably related to skin parasites like fleas & mange mites. Chronic itching & underlying skin infections can cause a puppy to become unthrifty & certainly lose weight. You really need to know what is the underlying cause of the itching, but until you can have the puppies seen by a veterinarian, you will need to bathe them in a good flea & tick shampoo labeled for puppies. If you can find or order a lime sulfur shampoo, this can be very useful in multiple skin issues in dogs. Make sure you follow the label directions when used. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry you are going through this. It sounds like they started the vaccination earlier than usual. Usually the second round of vaccines is applied at around 10-12 weeks. However, you should be ok as long as you continue the vaccine schedule as recommended by a veterinarian. The next step is having them provide you with a vaccine record. If you have recently started using Frontline, then it is fair to give it a few weeks to see if it helps. If you see ticks it is important to remove them. If you see more fleas, I recommend a product called Capstar which can help kill a lot of fleas at once. I do think that it would be best to have Teddy evaluated by a veterinarian sooner than 3 weeks as he is likely due for the next round of vaccines. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. Given her young age, I would suspect that if that is the case it could be due to flea allergies. Another possibility is something like mange. This is something your veterinarian would check with a physical examination and basic diagnostics like a skin scrape and cytology. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Fluffy is having skin issues. I would check to see if Fluffy has any fleas or ticks in her fur that could be contributing to her behavior. I would also see if she has any sores or lesions. If she does, I would recommend she be evaluated by her regular veterinarian, as she may need antibiotics if her skin is infected. In the meantime, I would bathe her in a gentle dishwasher soap (such as Dawn), ensure you remove all soap from her fur while rinsing her, and gently dry her to see if that helps. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend that you try a product called Capstar which can help kill a lot of fleas at once. You can consider switching to another flea preventative product such as Bravecto or Frontline. In the meantime, your veterinarian can consider a medication such as prednisone or Apoquel to help with the itch for now. Good luck!