Hi All.

I've just registered (10mins ago).

On Sunday I picked up my Chihuahua puppy - DOB 03/10/12

His name is Alfonso.

When we chose him circa 5wks ago he was perfectly healthy and when we collected him on Sunday 16th Dec (2.5days ago) we took him home in a wrapped blanket. When we got home we noted he had a couple of very small light balding spots on his back close to his hip.

Since spending some time with him we've noticed he likes to chew his fur on his side and back (not his bottom so prob not an anal gland issue) and this seems to be the cause of his fur loss. He scratches a bit more than I expected also. The great breeder flea'd him and wormed him twice during his first 10.5wks but the balding issue is getting worse.

There is no reddening or clear indication of any kind of inflammation - only thin spots where he bites.

I took him to the vet last night and the vet said there does seem to be a problem but it could be any number of things. He prescribed me (as a precaution) some Advocate - to make sure it's not anything living that is causing him to itch, scratch and chew his fur - we applied this last night. He also prescribed a dab on skin conditioner which we need to apply tonight.

Hopefully this will do the trick but seeing him uncomfortable is causing me a lot of anguish. My intuition says its either his blankets/beds OR a separation (from Mum) issue.

We feed him on the same batch of food (Royal Canin - Puppy Junior) that his breeder supplied and eats absolutely nothing else (no human food) so I can only assume it's NOT a diet issue.

Has anyone else has a similar experience and does anyone know of anything I can try in support of the medication?

I eagerly anticipate a helpful response.

P.S. Would have posted in Health but this forum seems to have more people view it.

Kind Regards,

JD

I would have a skin scraping done. Obviously chewing himself to baldness is not normal. I would get to the root of the problem. It could be mange, mites, etc. If nothing shows up on the scrape, start looking at auto immune disorders, have bloodwork pulled, etc.

IMO, the breeder should NOT have released this puppy to you. They knew about the problem, how could they not? They have saddled you with vet bills and worry. A reputable breeder would not send home a puppy with this issue, and concealed in a blanket? Ugh.

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"Having heard all of this, you may choose to look the other way.....
but you can never say again that you did not know." William Wilberforce 1759-1833

Hi. Thanks for the speedy reply.

The issue wasn't as prevalent. In fact barely noticeable when we got him home. It's definitely worsened over the last 48-60hrs.

The blanket was used to keep him warm as we had to collect him and bring him home on the train.

I have absolutely no issues with the breeder or the service she provided and she has offered to foot the vet's bills.

This post isn't about pointing fingers though I am looking for a solution.

Vet didn't mention any skin scrapes or other tests at this stage and didn't seem to concerned just yet.

The thing that resonated most with me was that he may not do to well with baths / shampoo.

I assume (because he smelled nice) that he was bathed / washed before he was handed to us and in a (perhaps misguided) attempt to help I bathed him Mon night and it's definitely worsened.

His coat isn't particularly shiny or healthy at the moment and he seems to have very very slight dandruff so I'm wondering if his diet is lacking in something. I read one of your responses earlier from a different post and you mentioned fish oils...

Is it OK to use human products or do these need to be special pet/dog versions of the same?

Thanks for your concern. Hope someone can help.

Tracy's answer is the same answer that I would have given.

I am surprised they did not do a scrape at your Vet. Did they not mention offering Benadryl to lessen his discomfort (itching/irritation) until a cause and resolution was reached?

I had not heard of Advocate so I searched it. He is the US it is a flea, parasite and heartworm treatment. Is that what you were given? Is that what was diagnosed or what they suspect?

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I would still suggest a skin scraping to see what is going on before I would try any dietary changes. A healthy puppy won't have bare patches, plain and simple. And they are worsening, that is very concerning. I would be concerned that there is something else going on and would fully investigate. If your breeder is willing to foot the bills, that's great! I'd definitely head to the vet and get started on a diagnosis. If your vet doesn't seem concerned, I'd seek a second opinion with a veterinary dermatologist. That's not overkill, believe me. This is an issue that deserves investigation. Early diagnosis and treatment is key. Not just trying to use a bandaid such as salves, shampoos, or fatty acids. Get to the root of the hair loss so you know what you are dealing with.

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"Having heard all of this, you may choose to look the other way.....
but you can never say again that you did not know." William Wilberforce 1759-1833

I wish I could give you some advice , but can't have not had any problems like this. Hope your vet can figure it out. Hope he gets better, I wonder if it is a nervous thing from other dogs picking on him, so many things to wonder about. Keep us up to date on him.

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Ike born Aug 15 2012

Advocate was a cure all solution in case he is suffering from something parasitic e.g. (worms, fleas, ticks). There is nothing visible but some of these 'nasties' live inside the body / under the surface of the skin so this medication should zap anything that might be there.

He's not overly irritated so Benadryl might be overkill - I'll try to post a pic of the damage so you can see he's not in pain. I'm just trying to nip this in the bud now.

JD.

My question to you is why did the breeder medicate him twice for fleas in his first 10.5 weeks. That's an aweful lot of meds for a brand new pup. Sounds like he's having a reaction to those meds, if that's the only meds she's used on the baby. What I'm saying, are you sure this is the only meds she has used on this pup? I would ask her & then ask again!! I also would make her pay the vet bill as I agree there was a problem from the get-go & she shouldn't have released the pup to you until the problem was cleared up. But what's done is done & I would involve her in the resolution of this baby.

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