My 3-month-old Pitbull puppy has itchy skin and white bumps. Why?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I recommend bathing him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula. This can help soothe the skin and relieve itching. If this does not resolve the issue, then he will need to see his veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

Hi. Skin problems can be difficult to diagnose and difficult to resolve. Your breed of dog tends to have allergies but as a puppy he may be a bit young for this. He could be having a reaction to something in his environment, have dry skin, or may have a parasite on the skin called Demodex. This parasite can cause fur loss in different areas and is more common in puppies as well as your breed of dog. You did not mention the exact medication that he is on so I cannot comment on that however I would recommend to add a high quality soothing and hydrating shampoo. Virbac has high quality shampoos that many veterinarians use and now it can be purchased on amazon! I particularly like the episoothe shampoo and resicort

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think continuing the use of a medicated shampoo would be good as he likely has secondary infections. I think this could be due to allergies and it would be crucial to identify the allergic component to try to see if he can improve. 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 PetCoach! This is pretty classic for good old allergies. Pit bulls are notorious for having environmental allergies. You can start by trying some Benedryl (see link below), omega 3 fatty acids (about 2,000 mg fish oil per day) and Duoxo Calm shampoo. This combo seems to work well for dogs with mild-moderate, occasional allergies. Unfortunately, many of my pitties with allergies end up needing temeril - P, apoquel, cytopoint, or other medications to control their itching. If you’re not seeing improvement in 1 week (or if worsening at any time) head to your vet for more immediate/stronger relief. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/ Best of luck to you and Rosie!

Allergies at this age are not very common, it's more likely that he is suffering from either fleas or mite infestation, both could also be causing weakness. i would recommend taking him to the vet to get it checked first, he will probably need anti parasitic treatment.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. This is likely not chicken pox as it would not be transmissible between human and animal. This is likely secondary to an allergic process and the red bumps you are seeing are known as papules. I would recommend using a shampoo such as Douxo PS chlorhexidine combination shampoo and bathe twice weekly. I would also recommend using malacetic conditioning spray and apply to the redeemed area or anywhere you see bumps. Benadryl can be given in cases like this and most vets recommend a safe dose of 1mg per 1lb of body weight every 12 hours. If there is no improvement, I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at this. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.