itchy chihuahua pup

weesophz

weesophz

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 September 2011
Messages
2,536
Location
West o' Scotland.
www.facebook.com
i dog sit 2 chihuahuas on a friday and have noticed that recently the pup has been constantly itchy. shes about 13/14 weeks old and has short coat. I mentioned it to her owner but she says shes been like that since she got her. I obviously dont want to step on her toes but i feel like if i offered her some advice she would be happy to take it.

pup has some red hot spots especially under her chin and stomach, her skin doesnt look dry but if shes been sitting on my lap itching or ive been petting her there is lots of tiny flakes and hair left on me. she also chews at her tail and legs a lot but doesnt have any obvious hair loss. she is fed dry food but im not sure what brand as it is left out for her all day, unsure if this would affect her skin?
other than this is a happy healthy lively pup who bounds about like a nutter when i can distract her from scratching!

older dog is long coated and has no symptoms.
 
weesophz said:
i dog sit 2 chihuahuas on a friday and have noticed that recently the pup has been constantly itchy. shes about 13/14 weeks old and has short coat. I mentioned it to her owner but she says shes been like that since she got her. I obviously dont want to step on her toes but i feel like if i offered her some advice she would be happy to take it.
g.png
Click to expand...
can you show me pics it?
 
It would be interesting to know what she's fed. But a visit to the vet is a must - mange springs to mind.

We've had a similar problem with our little dog who was paw chewing, and my vet was of the opinion it was food related, which we are now changing. In the meantime though we've got cream for her paws which has reduced the chewing by 99%.
 
okepunya said:
can you show me pics it?
Click to expand...

i will take some on friday when im next down if she will sit still long enough!

amymay said:
It would be interesting to know what she's fed. But a visit to the vet is a must - mange springs to mind.

We've had a similar problem with our little dog who was paw chewing, and my vet was of the opinion it was food related, which we are now changing. In the meantime though we've got cream for her paws which has reduced the chewing by 99%.
Click to expand...

i will have a look in the treat drawer to see if the food is in there, just dont want her to think im going snooping! if it was mange would it not have spread to the other dog though? they share the same bed and stuff?
 
weesophz said:
i will take some on friday when im next down if she will sit still long enough!



i will have a look in the treat drawer to see if the food is in there, just dont want her to think im going snooping! if it was mange would it not have spread to the other dog though? they share the same bed and stuff?
Click to expand...

If it's sarcoptic mange then perhaps yes, but if it's demodectic mange it may only be affecting the younger dog because their immune system is not so advanced. A visit to the vets is a definite must. The sooner the better.
 
Sometimes puppies will have "walking dandruff" ...it is a mite that causes the dog to scratch and looks like tiny white flakes on the skin.
For a young pup and such a tiny breed I would recommend a vet visit to see what meds you can use in this case...for an older pup frontline spray will get rid of these pests.
http://www.dogzhealth.com/walking-dandruff.html
 
Last edited:
Chis have mega sensitive skin and the shorthairs in particular are prone to allergies - i know cos Stanley once had an itchy spot so i researched it to death (no surprise there). I'd bet food allergy - check what kind she is feeding (and give the wee darling a kiss from me and a lick from Stan)
 
Under the chin and belly sounds like it could be contact dermatology, does she also lick her paws? Grass seems to unfortunately be a big offender. Definitely worth thinking about diet too, as sadly quite common and allergies often stack, avoiding a protein is easier than avoiding grass. First call though would be vet to rule out parasites.
 
Emilieu said:
Chis have mega sensitive skin and the shorthairs in particular are prone to allergies - i know cos Stanley once had an itchy spot so i researched it to death (no surprise there). I'd bet food allergy - check what kind she is feeding (and give the wee darling a kiss from me and a lick from Stan)
Click to expand...

i will do ems thanks!

Amicus said:
Under the chin and belly sounds like it could be contact dermatology, does she also lick her paws? Grass seems to unfortunately be a big offender. Definitely worth thinking about diet too, as sadly quite common and allergies often stack, avoiding a protein is easier than avoiding grass. First call though would be vet to rule out parasites.
Click to expand...

i thought it was more allergy aswell, shes constantly at her paws! seeing her tomorrow so will post about how she is and what owner says :)
 
My chi had dermodectic mange when she was a puppy. She was very itchy and lost a lot of fur and she was also bright pink in most places. It took a bit of effort to get it under control but the vet gave her a couple of things that helped and I bathed her in a hibiscrub type shampoo. She is fine now, eats Applaws wet and dry food and gets bathed with the hibiscrub stuff from time to time.

Look forward to your update :)
 
pup was actually a lot better on friday! she had a new bed so it was perhaps an allergy to the material of the bed? she is fed on royal canin junior if anyone knows if that could have caused it? she did itch at all the whole time i was there on friday and was extra wired haha so must be feeling better?
 
weesophz said:
pup was actually a lot better on friday! she had a new bed so it was perhaps an allergy to the material of the bed? she is fed on royal canin junior if anyone knows if that could have caused it? she did itch at all the whole time i was there on friday and was extra wired haha so must be feeling better?
Click to expand...

Had to read that twice. I'm guessing what you meant to say was that she did not itch? or scratch? :) That's good news, did skin look calmer/less pink? Perhaps it was the bed then.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top