My puppy has a bald spot, redness, and is scratching. Is it mange?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is a possibility Colt has a skin mite called demodex (mange). These mites are microscopic and don’t cause the pet to scratch. I recommend taking him to a vet where they can scrape his skin and look for the mite with a microscope. They can also look for a secondary bacterial infection from the mite. Once they have a diagnosis they can prescribe him the correct medications to treat his skin. Good luck and kisses to Colt!

Hello. This may be nothing at all, or it might be demodectic mange. I would check with your veterinarian who may tell you to wait things out & see if Brownie outgrows this, or if he may need to be treated. If he is not very itchy, then I just like to let him mature a few months & see if the skin clears on its own. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for also adding photos. Since I can’t see Prince McArthur up close I can’t for sure but it is possible he has microscopic mites. These mites are not itchy and not contagious but can cause hair loss especially in young puppies. I recommend taking him to a vet so they can look with a microscope and get him treatment if necessary. Good luck and kisses to Prince McArthur!

Rosie should see a veterinarian for a skin scrape in order to determine if she has Demodex. This is a mange mite that is most common in young puppies and presents with hair loss, red skin and pustules like you see in the photo. There are several very successful treatment options for this. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I do not recommend that you start any therapy without confirming this diagnosis with a veterinarian first. While mange is possible, other diseases such as allergies for example need to also be considered and these are treated differently. Best of luck!

You are absolutely correct that mange or allergies are possible. The doctor may recommend a diagnostic called a skin scrape to check for mites. For now just protect the area from any itching. It doesn’t look really inflamed so I’m not sure there’s much you can do at this point. As a general recommendation, starting Lexi on an omega 3 fatty acid for dogs can help improve skin health and it certainly won’t hurt anything. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there and thanks for posting this question. Certainly there can be many causes for this, but young dogs commonly will have a mite called demodex mite. I suspect by the age and description that this may be the problem. I would recommend that he be seen by a veterinarian. They will likely do a skin scraping to look for mites. If positive they will discuss treatment options. I hope this helps and thanks for using Pet Coach!