My lab puppy keeps scratching himself and now he losing patches of hair..

by Maria
(Longview tx)

We made sure he didn't have any ticks or fleas. He doesn't hurt when you touch him where he's being scratching. He is about 10 weeks old and a black lab.

He scratches like its an obsession. We though it was just extremely dry skin but we think it might be more than that now.. please help






Hi Maria
My first two guesses would be either dog allergies or Mange.

Both of these conditions can cause intense itching and scratching and hair loss. Canine allergies are actually fairly common, and dog food allergies and an allergy to fleas tend to occur frequently.

Mange is caused by tiny parasites called mites, and your vet can diagnose this by taking a small skin scraping. Treatment usually consists of special shampoos or 'dips'.

I'd recommend that you have your puppy examined by your vet so that you can find out what is causing the problem. You need to get to the root of it all before you can get him on the road to recovery.

Meantime, there are certain products that can really help relieve the itching and discomfort your pup is experiencing. Take a look at my Canine Skin Allergies page for a selection of some of the best.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your pup.