My 9-week-old puppy has dandruff, scabs, and soft stool. What's wrong?

Hello. Your puppy may have mange, but this sounds a bit more like something we call puppy pyoderma, a staph infection in the skin. Seen often in puppies, it is from a puppy having a weak & immature immune system. I would see your veterinarian about this because it requires skin scrapes to rule out mange, & cytology to confirm the presence of the skin bacteria that causes the lesions. Whatever the cause, your veterinarian will recommend a treatment until King gets a little older & is able to fight these situations off by himself. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Your dog should be on puppy food for at least the first year of his life. I worry that he's not getting the right balance of nutrient in the diet you're giving him now and that can lead to a number of health problems now and in the future. If you want to continue to make his food at home, ask your veterinarian for advice, find out if there is a veterinary nutritionist you can consult with for a recipe that will meet his nutritional needs or go to the website for the American College of Veterinary Nutritionists and consult with one there. http://www.acvn.org/

Hello, and thank you for your question. I'm sorry to hear that Toby is feeling unwell. Scabs on his body may be a sign of a skin disease such as parasites (fleas, mites), bacterial infection, fungal infection, or allergies. These can all cause itchiness and discomfort, which may be why he is shaking and has a loss of appetite. Stress from discomfort can also cause loose stools. It is also possible that Toby is dealing with multiple health issues, i.e. the skin problem may be separate from his loss of appetite and loose stool. Causes for the latter two issues include gut infection (gastroenteritis), pancreatitis, gut parasites, or food allergies. Given these many possibilities, it would be best if Toby got checked out at a vet within the next 1-2 days. They can determine the cause of the skin issue through physical exam and possible skin scraping or cytology tests. If they are suspicious of gut parasites, they may recommend checking a fecal sample. At minimum, they can prescribe medication to help improve his comfort, correct any dehydration, and treat his diarrhea. In the meantime, some things you can do at home include: 1) bathe him with a gentle aloe and oatmeal shampoo which can help to provide some relief in case of allergies. 2) transition his food to a bland, easily digestible homemade diet such as boiled chicken and plain white rice. Small, frequent meals will also help him to digest it easier. 3) add a probiotic supplement such as Fortiflora to help restore his normal gut flora. I hope this helps, and that Toby is feeling better soon!

Poor King! Sometimes fleas can be hard to find, and the only evidence of them is flea dirt (little black specs that is flea poop). This scratching can be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If he isn't up to date on his flea treatment, I can give you one for him. First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If he is up to date on his flea treatment, I recommend taking him into the vet for an exam tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. I hope this helps!

King's urinary symptoms could be due to a urinary tract infection, crystals in the urine, stones in the urinary tract, a mass, endocrine disease, or toxin ingestion. It is important that you have King seen by a veterinarian to help determine the cause of the signs and to start treatment. If you notice him straining to urinate/unable to produce urine, this is a medical emergency and can be life threatening, so he needs to be seen by a vet right away. Skin lesions can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. I recommend having King seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the lesions you’ve noticed and to make sure they are treated appropriately. The vet will likely want to look at a sample from the area under the microscope to determine if there is an infection and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. In the meantime, you can bathe King in hypoallergenic shampoo for dogs to clean the area, but this will likely not resolve the lesions.

I don't think this is seasonal shedding. I would be concerned about causes of hair loss and itching in a puppy, including fleas, mange, lice, infections (bacterial or yeast), and ringworm. A vet examination will be able to help you figure out the cause and best treatment. I would also discuss the diarrhea with the vet. Possible causes include food intolerance or allergies, intestinal parasites, dietary indiscretion, bacterial or viral infection, stress colitis, among others. Even though Bear was dewormed, the vet should probably do a fecal floatation test to check for intestinal parasites.

I would recommend that Buddy see a vet as soon as possible. The things you have mentioned do not fit with any one disease in my head, but a poor appetite and diarrhea in a puppy are concerns for bacterial or viral infection, including parvo virus. I always recommend evaluation by a vet if diarrhea with poor appetite happen longer than 24 hours. Possible causes include infection, intestinal parasites, intestinal blockage, food allergy, among others. Many of these can also lead to a dull coat. Not being able to stand is unusual in a puppy, but can be caused by infections, intervertebral disc disease, neurologic disease, hypoglycemia, etc.