Why is my chihuahua puppy balding on his paws and scratching his face?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jacinto. He will need to see his veterinarian to determine the cause of the bald spot. Skin tests are typically performed to determine if there are mites (mange and walking dandruff are examples) or even ringworm. To assess for mites, samples are collected and evaluated under the microscope. Ringworm is usually diagnosed by a fungal culture. I hope this information helps!

Poor Cheepie does sound very uncomfortable! This scratching can be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If he isn't up to date on his flea treatment, he will need a spot on treatment such as Advantage or Revolution. You will need to disinfect the environment as well. Even if he is up to date on his flea treatment, I recommend taking him into the vet for an exam tomorrow. He may have a skin infection from all the scratching, and he will need medications to treat that. If he is up to date on his flea treatments, the vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Demodex is definitely high on the list, the other main option is allergies, you will need to take Appy to the vet ASAP, your vet will perform a skin scrap to confirm/rule out demodex, if it is not demodex the vet will give him allergy meds for at least 2 weeks as well as a course of antibiotics.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If he is itchy at all then it could be due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his 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!

It's tough to say exactly what's causing Pablo's patch of hair loss from a picture alone. I agree that I don't see any redness, scaling or signs of inflammation in the picture. Some possible causes can include scar tissue from an injury or burn, infectious conditions like mange or ringworm, a sebaceous (oil gland) cyst or histiocytoma. Pablo should be examined by his vet so that diagnostic testing can be performed. It's likely that your vet will need to take samples from this area to be evaluated under the microscope. Once the cause of this issue is diagnosed, then your vet will be able to determine the best course of treatment. This is certainly not an emergency, so if many of your local vets are currently closed or have less availability, it's not a big deal if you need to wait a few extra weeks. I hope this helps and that all goes well for Pablo!

Poor girl. With so many external skin parasites on her then hair loss due is common to occur. There is no harm in waiting 1-2 weeks to see if the hair starts to grow back on its own. As long as she isn't chewing her paws excessively and seems bothered then it's ok to wait things out for now. Also try an oatmeal based puppy shampoo to hear her skin. When she is at least 6 weeks of age then visit your vet to get her on topical Revolution to protect her from future infestations. Monitor her behavior as well and if she acts ill in the next few days then it's best to get her seen to make sure she didn't pick up a big from the many parasites she had on her. Best wishes with your new puppy Reina and I hope everything goes smooth from here on out with her new responsible owner. Take care.

Poor Chiko! There are many different things that could cause itching, scabs, and hair loss like this. Some common possibilities would include allergies (food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment), a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so it's important to get a diagnosis first. Because of this, I would recommend taking Chiko to the vet tomorrow for an exam. He/she can do some simple skin tests if needed to help diagnose the problem and get him started on appropriate medication to treat it. In the meantime, you can try bathing him in an aloe and oatmeal dog shampoo if you want to - this will not treat the underying problem causing his symptoms, but may help to soothe his skin and make him a bit more comfortable until you are able to see the vet.