Puppy chewing fur, no fleas. How do vets diagnose mites or allergies?

Unfortunately, if you are unable to take her in for diagnostic testing, the best thing you can do is use the drugs that were provided to you by your veterinarian already. Demodectic mites and/or fleas would definitely be the top differential for these symptoms in a pup of this age. Often multiple treatments with Revolution or a drug like it will be required to get the symptoms under control. Sometimes, even if the symptoms are resolves, continued treatment Revolution is recommended for another couple of rounds to make sure there are no residual mites still living on the body's surface. I would agree that a grain allergy at this age would be highly unusual but certainly not impossible. Hope this makes sense.

Allergies and mange would be at the top of my list. A vet can easily check for intestinal parasites (mange) and then figure out a treatment plan for allergies if you don't have any parasites. There are many many different way to treat allergies, depending on how much you want to spend on medications/testing.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, this can be due to mites. Usually though that is associated with itchiness. Another possibility is that this is due to vasculitis. There could be an underlying allergy. I recommend that you have Gizmo evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If there is itchiness, this could be due to skin allergies as stated above. 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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m sorry to hear Macie has been having skin issues. Itching like you are describing can have a variety of causes, including skin mites like you suspect, allergies, an infection (bacterial or fungal) or another underlying medical cause. She can be skin scraped to test for mites, but as they burrow in the skin sometimes they are hard to find to diagnose. If you are concerned about mites, you could talk to your veterinarian about some of the newer oral flea and tick preventatives that are available (such as nexgard or bravecto), which in addition to preventing flea and ticks also treat skin mites. If it isn’t mites, the. Your veterinarian can discuss what other treatment options may be available if the apoquel isn’t helping enough. Good luck!

You would be very unlucky to have all three dogs with skin allergy!! If you (or your vet) already ruled out fleas, mites and skin infection can be responsible for this presentation. A check up for one would be enough probably for all of them and some basic skin tests (skin scrapes for example) can rule out these differentials. I think a check up at your local veterinarian would be the best option. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Skin problems can have a variety of causes, sometimes more than one. Allergies, parasites, bacterial or fungal infections, even contact with some surfaces or substances will cause itching, rash and/or hair loss. It is important to have the problem checked by your vet to determine if there is a medical cause for your pet’s skin issues and treat accordingly. In pets of all ages, fleas, food allergies and exposure to chemical irritants such as cleaners and soaps can be a cause. Any one of these may not be enough to trigger the breakouts, depending on how sensitive your pet is, but a combination can be enough to start the itch-scratch cycle. Finding out the cause and eliminating it is the best course of action. With flea allergies, if your pet is sensitive enough, a single bite can cause them to break out scratch enough to tear their skin. Check for fleas with a flea comb. Look for fleas and/or tiny black granules, like coarse black pepper. This is flea feces, consisting of digested, dried blood. You may find tiny white particles, like salt, which are the flea eggs. Applying a good topical monthly flea treatment and aggressively treating your house and yard will help break the flea life cycle. If you use plastic bowls, this is a possible cause for hair loss, though this tends to be on the chin, where their skin touches the bowl while they eat. If you suspect this to be the culprit, try changing the bowls to glass, metal or ceramic. Food allergies are often caused by sensitivity to a protein in the food. Hill's Science Diet offers some non-prescription options for sensitive skin as well as prescription hypoallergenic foods for more severe cases. Royal Canin carries limited protein diets that may also offer some relief. Your vet can recommend a specific diet that will help. If there is no relief or not enough, consider getting your pet checked by a veterinary dermatologist and having allergy testing done.

Hi there. Has your veterinarian performed a skin scraping looking for mites yet? Many types of mites can be really difficult to find. I will occasionally still treat a dog for mites even if I can’t prove that they are there. That would be my recommendation moving forward. If she is really just 4 months old then skin allergies are much less likely, although not impossible I treat all of my itchy puppies like mites until proven otherwise. I hope this is helpful! Good luck to both of you!