My pregnant dog has severe itching and bleeding skin. What to do?

What cute pups! Its possible there could be a parasite causing some skin irritation. Fleas would be a possibility, but also demodectic mange which is caused by mites that normally live on the skin but can get out of control when dogs are immune suppressed as in pregnancy. It may improve on its own as the pups get bigger but she may need to see a vet for treatment.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about your dog. Unless this is a life-threatening reaction, I wouldn't advise using any drugs while she is pregnant. If she develops itching, trouble breathing, pale membranes, vomiting or other signs, I would advise contacting your veterinarian or a local emergency veterinarian for advice. Drug use during pregnancy should be avoided at all costs in my opinion. Maybe trying a hypoallergenic oatmeal shampoo and leaving the lather on her for 10 minutes may help ease the situation. Good luck with her.

Poor girl. It appears they may have a bacterial infection on the skin. This can be due to trauma to the skin or a weakened immune system stemming from just giving birth. The puppy also may have had an abrasion that occurred during the birthing process. This doesn’t seem urgent at the moment and can wait until Monday to have your vet address this issue. A short course of antibiotics and topical treatment from your vet should be able to resolve this. In the meantime you can try cleaning it with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water or Chlorhexidine 3% diluted. Thes are effective antiseptics used in dogs. Best of luck with Mom and her pups. I hope everyone’s skin issues resolve soon. Best wishes and take care.

No - unfortunately, antihistamines are not safe to be used during pregnancy. You can try bathing her in an aloe and oatmeal dog shampoo to see if this helps a bit, as this shouldn't harm her or the puppies. If this doesn't help, I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam - he/she can discuss prescription medication options that can be used to help with itching or other skin problems while she is pregnant.

This is very concerning - she may be aborting a litter of puppes or may have an infection. I would recommend an urgent appointment and depending on the findings and an ultrasound scan an emergency spay operation may be recommended to prevent further blood loss. I recommend strict bed rest until you can arrange an emergency appointment

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would have Hazel examined by a vet. I’d be worried about a miscarriage or a uterine infection (pyometra). Sadly there is nothing we can do about a miscarriage but a pyometra is serious and life threatening. The vet will do an exam, blood work, belly X-rays and maybe an ultrasound to see if the puppies are alive. I wish you and Hazel the best!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I hope you meant 37 days and not weeks, since a dog's pregnancy is about 60-65 days. Scratching should not harm the puppies as this is a normal behavior in dogs so the body is prepared for that movement. I would recommend making sure she isn't scratching for medical reasons that need to be addressed, like fleas. Good luck and kisses to Irie!