Help! My 11-week-old golden retriever won't stop itching his hind leg | Pet Peeves

Dr. Dara Johns
·3 min read
2

Hi Dr. Johns,

We just got a golden retriever puppy and he's 11 weeks old tomorrow. Ever since we got him, he has itched regularly and more than any of my other dogs have ever itched. Usually, it's his hind leg area underneath. I don't see any redness or irritations on the skin or any fleas etc. I've tried using Burt's Bees anti-itch shampoo but it didn't help.

He has also been getting over some irritation in his bladder that he came home with and the supplements have gotten that to a much better place but I was wondering if it was possible for those two things to be related? If it's not and he has an allergy to pollen, what would be OK to use for a puppy his age? Do you have any recommendations? Is it something he can grow out of or is it likely to get worse as he gets older?

I tried to ask his vet but he was super rushed and was focused on the ear infection we were treating him for and getting him his shots so we didn't get to actually discuss it at all. Hoping you can help! I really appreciate it if you can take the time to respond, thanks for reading!

— Lindsay Roza

Read more Pet Peeves columns

Dear Lindsay,

When a puppy is itching a lot at 11 weeks of age, the most likely cause is sarcoptic mange or fleas. A puppy of that age is really too young to have allergies yet. It has not been exposed to anything long enough to mount an immune response.

The more I read and reread your email, this puppy has a lot of problems at such a young age — bladder issues, ear infection, itching all over. I'm sorry your vet was so rushed. Unfortunately, it seems that most veterinarians are finding it hard to make time for all the animals that need to be seen today. Getting in to see the veterinarian is getting more and more difficult and I want to applaud you for getting your pet in for vaccinations. They are so important at this age and until your puppy is 16 weeks old.

When I see a puppy this young with an ear infection the first thing I look for is ear mites. A clue that ear mites could be the cause of the ear infection is seeing black wax in the ears. Ear mites can be ruled out by looking at some of the wax from the ear under the microscope. The little mites will be crawling around.

Sarcoptic manage could be culprit

When I see a puppy itching as badly as you describe, I look for sarcoptic mange or fleas. Sarcoptic mange mites are harder to find, but can sometimes be seen under the microscope when a skin scraping is taken. Usually if I suspect Sarcoptic mange I just go ahead and treat the pet and see if the itching clears up rather than do a skin scraping.

The easiest way to treat for sarcoptic mange, fleas and ear mites is to give your pet a dose of a chewable flea and tick medicine called Nexgard. It is a chewy that is labeled for fleas and ticks and can be used on dogs eight weeks of age and older. While it is not labeled for the treatment of sarcoptes mites, it will kill them and it is very safe. Nexgard does require a prescription but since you have seen your veterinarian recently you should be able to call him and ask for the product.

Get it today and treat your puppy just in case it is sarcoptic mange. Also wash all the bedding that can be washed and what can't be washed should be thrown away.

Start there. If itching continues, I would be surprised. If it does continue you may be dealing with some form of rare allergy problem.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: How to get dog to stop itching, tips for sarcoptic mange, fleas, ear mites