My 3-week-old puppy has dry, patchy skin and fur loss. What to do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like a focal infection. You can try to use a medicated shampoo containing chlorhexidine twice weekly for 2 weeks. If there is no improvement or in the meantime this appears to be getting worse, have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking (if any). 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!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Was he recently under anesthesia for surgery? It looks like it could be a burn. Unfortunately as much as we try the warning devices can cause a burn that doesn’t show up for several days. Or could he burned himself on something? Another possibility is a hot spot. I’d take him in to you vet to have it checked. I wish you the best!

Hello! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! First off, you're doing a great job by keeping fleas off the mother dog and combing the pups regularly. Looking at the spots of hair loss on the head, my top suspicions would be ringworm, demodectic mange, or a bacterial skin infection. I would recommend you take her into a vet to find out what the problem is. Ringworm is a skin fungus that can be transmitted to people, but it is treated fairly easily if it is caught early. The vet will likely recommend a DTM culture to test for fungal infections, and a skin scraping and impression smear to find the root of the problem. I hope that helps!

It is not possible to assess this "dry patch of skin" without at least a photo or a hands on exam. Your vet likely noticed it but did not think it was a problem and thereforee did not mention it. I suggest you ring your vet tomorrow and ask him what he thinks this patch is and if he does not remember it take the puppy back and have him examine it. I am sure the move to a new owner can be delayed for a day. Be up front with the new owners and tell them you want this checked out before the puppy leaves to ensure all is well. This will definitely support a good breeder reputation.

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.

Hello and thank you for your post! A patch of hair loss could indicate multiple things. I am assuming that she is quite Young since you are calling her a puppy. If she is very young, she might have a patch of hair loss due to skin mites called Demodex. This patch could also be infectious, bacterial or fungal. I would suggest getting her seen by her veterinarian to have diagnostic tests performed to see what the primary cause of this patch of hair loss is. Your veterinarian will likely scrape the skin in that affected area as an initial test. Depending on the cause, that will be able to prescribe the most appropriate treatments for this. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any other concerns that you may have. I am also available via text or phone consultation.