My 4-month-old pitbull puppy is very itchy, could it be mites?

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!

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.

Pitbulls are known for having allergy issues but I have not seen them show up in one quite so young. Without a photo it is hard for me to comment too much as to what may be going on. At 3-1/2 months old he will be due for vaccines again soon so I suggest you just monitor and bring this up at the next vet exam. In the meantime I would use this shampoo on him to see if you can relieve some of the itch. https://www.walmart.com/ip/SynergyLabs-Veterinary-Formula-Clinical-Care-Hot-Spot-amp-Itch-Relief-Medicated-Shampoo-for-Dogs-and-Cats-16-fl-oz/244249833 Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Hi there and thank you for posting your question! From the pictures you sent, it looks as if Onix could be dealing with skin mites (especially due to his age and the location of these areas of patchy hair loss). I would get him seen by your veterinarian to be diagnosed for skin mites and to receive the most appropriate treatment. Bravecto and Nexgard are 2 great flea / tick products that also treat Demodex skin mites off label. You will need a prescription and a diagnosis in order to use either one of these though. Onix may also have severe allergies / skin infection. I would still encourage you to be seen by your veterinarian to discuss treatment options for the allergies. For now, you can begin some safe supplements though. I would start Canine Welactin omega 3 fish oil, Essential 6 spot on by dermoscent and Benadryl 50mg by mouth every 12 hours (dose for Benadryl is 1mg per 1 lb of body weight, so if he is indeed 55lb, use the above 50mg dose). Please do not hesitate to contact me with any further questions / concerns you may have.

Scratching and itchiness can be caused by various reasons such as fleas, mites ,fungal infection, bacterial infection and allergies. the first 4 needs to be ruled out before we start treating for allergies. in order to do that first de-flea Panther with a high quality flea treatment such as advantage spot on, if it doesn't help - take him to the vet in order to check for/treat the other possibilities. If everything is ruled out, then an allergy treatment can be started. Usually an hypoallergenic food is a good way to start together with anti histamines. if it doesn't help - the best solution is a medication called Apoquel which treats allergies with great success and without side effects.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

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.