Q. My puppy has dry skin and losing hair and they check for scabies and other things and nothing what do I do?

ANSWER : A. If she’s young, then this is just normal puppy behavior. Don’t worry about it. The thing about puppies is, they explore using their mouths. If your puppy grabs a coat hanger, or a slipper, you should roll up a newspaper, and smack yourself on the head with it for leaving those things out.. your puppy is going to explore things, that’s normal! It is 100% up to YOU to keep those things away from your puppy when your puppy is unsupervised… even for just a moment.

Remember to never scold your puppy for grabbing these things. They are just curious little cuties, and they don’t chew things up to bother us.. Dogs do not have intentional thought, so they aren’t ever doing anything ON PURPOSE to us.. The most important thing you can do when your puppy is chewing something you don’t want her to be chewing is TRADE her the inappropriate item with a toy of hers, so she understands “no honey, that isn’t what puppies chew on… THIS is what puppies chew on!” and then begin playing with her using her toy to show her that TOYS ARE FUN.. Way more fun than a boring ol’ coat hanger.

Another helpful thing you can do is have two bags of toys. In each bag is many different kinds of toys. Lots of chew toys, lots of soft squeaky toys, lots of rope-type toys, a bunch of balls.. All kinds of things! For one week you have bag#1’s toys out for your puppy to play with.. At the end of the one week, you collect those toys, and you bring out bag#2! The toys will be more interesting/feel like new to your puppy, which will in-turn, make her chew less inappropriate things. Her toys are too fun to care about that dumb Wii-mote that you left laying around.

Hope this helps!

ANSWER : A. Changes in coat appearance can be caused by a number of things. In older cats, hair loss or changes in coat and skin confirmation may indicate a metabolic issue such as thyroid problems. Cats can begin to lose hair and may also show other changes such as weight changes or appetite changes. Blood work is usually done to check for this, and most pets do very well with a daily medication treatment.

Hair loss can also be caused by mites on the skin, external parasites or even skin and fungal infections. These may cause red bumps or sores to appear on the skin in addition to the hair loss and coat changes. Your vet can take a skin scraping of the area to check for mites and infections, and a preventive flea treatment can remove any external parasites. If an infection or mites are present, your vet can also prescribe an antibiotic or topical cream to treat.

After any treatment it may take a month or two for completely bald patches to grow back in. This is normal as the skin and follicles need some time to heal prior to beginning the hair growth cycle again.

ANSWER : A. Dry and flaky skin can be caused by a large number of things ranging from too-frequent of bathing, allergies or external parasites and illness. If your dog is already on medication to prevent external parasites, it may just be that you are actually bathing your puppy too often.

Bathing more frequently than once every few weeks can actually strip the skin and coat of its natural oils, leading to dry skin and a “dandruff” appearance. Bathing less often and using a soothing shampoo such as oatmeal or sensitive skin can help some. In between baths, a pet wipe or baby wipe can be used to clean dirty areas while allowing the skin and coat to regain its natural oils.

If the skin problem persists, or additional symptoms such as redness, itching or hair loss occur, it may indicate a more serious condition which should be examined by your local vet.

ANSWER : A. Skin problems can have a variety of causes, sometimes more than one. It is important to have the problem checked by your vet to determine if there is a medical cause for your pet’s skin issues and treat accordingly.

In pets of all ages, fleas, food allergies and exposure to chemical irritants such as cleaners and soaps can be a cause. Any one of these may not be enough to trigger the breakouts, depending on how sensitive your pet is, but a combination can be enough to start the itch-scratch cycle. Finding out the cause and eliminating it is the best course of action. With flea allergies, if your pet is sensitive enough, a single bite can cause them to break out scratch enough to tear their skin.

Check for fleas with a flea comb. Look for fleas and/or tiny black granules, like coarse black pepper. This is flea feces, consisting of digested, dried blood. You may find tiny white particles, like salt, which are the flea eggs. Applying a good topical monthly flea treatment and aggressively treating your house and yard will help break the flea life cycle.

If you use plastic bowls, this is a possible cause for hair loss, though this tends to be on the chin, where their skin touches the bowl while they eat. If you suspect this to be the culprit, try changing the bowls to glass, metal or ceramic.

Food allergies are often caused by sensitivity to a protein in the food. Hill’s Science Diet offers some non-prescription options for sensitive skin as well as prescription hypoallergenic foods for more severe cases. Royal Canin carries limited protein diets that may also offer some relief. Your vet can recommend a specific diet that will help.

If there is no relief or not enough, consider getting your pet checked by a veterinary dermatologist and having allergy testing done.

ANSWER : A. First thing to do is to try and find out why your puppy is losing hair. Hair loss is a normal thing in dogs but if excessive it could be sign of disease. There are many reason for hair loss in dogs like skin parasites, skin infection, allergic problems, food intolerance or poor diet. You should take your puppy to your vets for clinical examination and treatment, if required.

ANSWER : A. Crusting of the skin, itching and hair loss can all be caused by a number of things, most commonly skin infections (from bacteria, yeast or fungi) or from external parasites. Checking for parasites such as fleas and ticks and then treating them can help the skin. However, if a secondary infection or primary skin infection has occurred (hair loss, redness, itching, hot to the touch or oozing debris) then it is best to have it examined by your local vet. Antibiotics and medicated shampoos will usually help the skin to recover and heal. Until you can get to your vet it is best to prevent your dog from scratching or chewing at the area with the use of an Elizabethan (cone) collar or T-shirt so that she cannot introduce any bacteria into the skin from her tongue or nails.

ANSWER : A. Dermatitis can be caused by a number of things in dogs ranging from allergies, skin infections caused by bacteria or fungus, skin dryness from changes in the weather or too frequent bathing or even from external parasites. Determining the cause of the dermatitis first is best before treating it.

If allergies are thought to be the cause, allergy medication can be given to help relieve symptoms. Your vet can provide you with the correct dosage for your dog’s size of over the counter medications. In more serious cases, stronger allergy medications may need to be prescribed. For dry or flaky skin, using a shampoo that is for sensitive skin or oatmeal based can help soothe it. Lowering the frequency of baths and instead using a pet wipe or baby wipe to keep your dog clean will also help sooth the skin. For external parasites, starting on a preventive treatment plan of flea and tick medication will help stop fleas from biting and allow the skin to heal.

If you suspect a more serious causes such as bacterial or fungal infection, or your dog does not improve with treatment, making a wellness check with your vet is best. Your vet can thoroughly examine the skin and may also recommend additional tests to check for any underlying causes such as infection, hormonal imbalance or illness.

ANSWER : A. Weight loss in older cats, especially when coupled with continued or increased appetite can indicate diabetes or hyperthyroidism. I recommend getting your cat in to see your vet as soon as possible for an exam and comprehensive labwork.

Skin problems can have a variety of causes, sometimes more than one. It is important to have the problem checked by your vet to determine if there is a medical cause for your pet’s skin issues and treat accordingly.

In pets of all ages, fleas, food allergies and exposure to chemical irritants such as cleaners and soaps can be a cause. Any one of these may not be enough to trigger the breakouts, depending on how sensitive your pet is, but a combination can be enough to start the itch-scratch cycle. Finding out the cause and eliminating it is the best course of action. With flea allergies, if your pet is sensitive enough, a single bite can cause them to break out scratch enough to tear their skin.

Check for fleas with a flea comb. Look for fleas and/or tiny black granules, like coarse black pepper. This is flea feces, consisting of digested, dried blood. You may find tiny white particles, like salt, which are the flea eggs. Applying a good topical monthly flea treatment and aggressively treating your house and yard will help break the flea life cycle.

If you use plastic bowls, this is a possible cause for hair loss, though this tends to be on the chin, where their skin touches the bowl while they eat. If you suspect this to be the culprit, try changing the bowls to glass, metal or ceramic.

Food allergies are often caused by sensitivity to a protein in the food. Hill’s Science Diet offers some non-prescription options for sensitive skin as well as prescription hypoallergenic foods for more severe cases. Royal Canin carries limited protein diets that may also offer some relief. Your vet can recommend a specific diet that will help.

If there is no relief or not enough, consider getting your pet checked by a veterinary dermatologist and having allergy testing done.