My 2-week-old puppy has a skin condition. What is it and how to treat?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jack. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian. Skin tests will likely need to be performed. Demodex is a mite that lives normally in the hair follicles of dogs. Puppies can experience an overgrowth. This is common in his breed. The veterinarian can diagnose this condition with a procedure known as a skin scrapes. Of course, there can be other conditions affecting his skin. In the meantime, I recommend bathing him with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as an oatmeal or fatty acid based formula to soothe the skin. Place an E-collar on him if he is licking or biting the areas. I hope this information helps!

Poor puppy! You need to see the veterinarian. Over the counter products are highly unlikely to kill the mites. Additionally, if he has Scabies, this will infest humans for a temporary time period. Additionally, ringworm can also look like this (which humans can also get). The veterinarian needs to do a skin scrape which will detect if mites are present. Treatment will be based upon results of diagnostics. He will likely get a special shampoo and antibiotics as well as medications to treat to primary cause. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

First, you would need to have the underlying condition diagnosed. This could be a bacterial, fungal or parasite (fleas or mites) infection. A physical exam with your veterinarian is required to make the diagnosis. Once you have this information, the appropriate treatment can be administered. Any treatment will depend on the diagnosis but may include systemic and/or topical treatments. In the meantime, use an e-collar (cone) to prevent licking or chewing and make sure Rex is on a monthly flea preventive to rule out fleas.

The only way to definitively diagnose mange (Demodex) is by skin scrapings which should be repeated every 2-3 weeks during treatment until 2 negative skin scrapings are found. Make sure that the flea and tick medication prescribed will also treat mites (milbemycin or moxidectin) and keep in mind that the dosage frequency is different for mite treatment than it is for flea preventative. Treatment needs to continue for 1-2 months after there is a negative skin scraping. Steroids are usually contraindicated in treatment of Demodex. Demodex mites are not contagious to other animals so your other dogs may not be affected.

This could be ringworm ,this could also be mites or a bacterial infection, you will need to take him to the vet in order to find out what it is exactly as it is impossible to tell from a picture alone.

I would have this checked by a vet. It sounds very much like ringworm. Although the name suggests otherwise, ringworm is not caused by a worm at all-but a fungus. This highly contagious infection can lead to patchy areas of hair loss on a pet, and can spread to other animals-and to humans, too. Classic symptoms of ringworm include lesions that typically appear on a pet’s head, ears, paws and forelimbs. These lesions can cause patchy, crusted circular “bald spots” that sometimes look red in the center. In mild cases of ringworm, there may be just a few broken hairs, while bad cases of ringworm can spread over most of a pet’s body. It’s also possible for a pet to carry the fungus and not show any symptoms whatsoever. Treatment of ringworm depends on the severity of the infection. A veterinarian may prescribe a medicated shampoo or ointment that contains miconazole or a dip such as lime sulfur to kill the fungus. In some cases, oral medications are necessary to cure ringworm. In severe cases, it may be necessary to use a topical and oral treatment, in addition to clipping away the fur. Once treatment begins, lesions should begin to heal in about one to three weeks. Please note, it is important to treat your pet for as long as recommended by your veterinarian. Even though the skin lesions may have cleared up, this doesn’t mean your pet is cured or can’t infect another animal or person. Certain diagnostic tests may need to be repeated in order to ensure cure. And unfortunately, there is no guarantee that reinfection won’t occur!

Rosie should see a veterinarian for a skin scrape in order to determine if she has Demodex. This is a mange mite that is most common in young puppies and presents with hair loss, red skin and pustules like you see in the photo. There are several very successful treatment options for this. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.