My 9+wk puppy of beagle & retriever (?) mix has been scratching his entire body almost continuously since he came home with us on 8 Jan. Was informed by owner of his litter mate that his sibling had fleas.

Vet exam showed no fleas, but my pup was given Capstar for 6 days & Resolution for the 7th. Completed regimen on 16th. Also had kennel cough, for which he had been on Amoxillan for 14days, then a cycle of Clavamox for an additional 14 days. His skin is red, irritated, and has significant fur loss on his hind quarters.

We were advised to give him oatmeal baths (which he hated & did not soak very long), and, just in the past 24 hours, Benadryl - both orally & topically.

He was fed Purina puppy chow at his foster home, then was abruptly switched to Science Diet. He is given 1/4 c 3x daily, less any food rewards. He appears hungry all the time, but often refuses food rewards (peanut butter, boiled chicken, hot dogs, commercial liver treats) and will leave his bowl incomplete. His temperament has gone from happy-go-lucky to non-responsive, erratic (hyper one moment; lethargic the next).

I suspect an allergy - to the antibotics or food protein. Any suggestions/advice?

Oh - skin scrapings were taken on 16 Jan; no other parasite found.

Stools, while on the soft side are fully formed, and he eliminates regularly.

Bev,

I'd get your little guy to a derm vet.

>>He was fed Purina puppy chow at his foster home, then was abruptly switched to Science Diet.<<

Both of these foods are pure crap in a bag, unfortunately. Don't blame him for not eating it all up<g>. Perhaps you could consider switching him to a much higher quality kibble (good quality sources of protein, no grains, etc.). There are a lot of threads about kibbles (I'm not very adept at pulling up links...sorry<g>.

Good luck,
leih

Ditto!

I liken Science Diet to a big expensive bag of corn with some chicken wafted over it.

Poor puppy... So young to be on so many different meds! Maybe you should start with a Probiotic to replenish what the antibiotics and meds nuked...? I vote for ditching the Science Diet too.

I'm going to wait for Connie on this- she will set you straight!

Absolutely pre,probiotics. What a ridiculous regimen for a tiny pup. I wouldn't be so sure he has allergies at this point; with all that, who KNOWS what's causing the problem. GRRRR...vets irritate me often.

Ditch the crap in a bag. Give a good probiotic- Nzymes is good, I also use Primal Defense Ultra. Get that poor puppy's gut in proper shape, switch him to food appropriate for a dog instead of a cow, and I bet he'll start looking better right away.

Connie will chime in with the details I'm too tired to provide. LOL. She also has real allergy experience.

I look forward to connie's input.

In the meantime, how does Fromm's rank? How about Orijen?

Orijen Puppy Ingredients:

Fresh deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, russet potato, fresh deboned salmon (a natural source of DHA and EPA), herring meal, sweet potato, peas, fresh deboned lake whitefish, salmon meal, fresh deboned walleye, chicken liver, fresh deboned turkey, chicken fat (naturally preserved with vitamin E and citric acid), fresh whole eggs, fresh deboned herring, sun-cured alfalfa, salmon oil, chicory root, dehydrated organic kelp, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, saskatoon berries, black currants, choline chloride, psyllium, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, sea salt, vitamin supplements (vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, vitamin C, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12), mineral supplements (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium), dried Lactobacillus acidophilus product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

Orijen is pretty good. Some of the herbs seem a bit extraneous, but that's just me being critical. Its an expensive food, so you are definitely paying for them.

I'm pretty partial to The Honest Kitchen since I switched. Their customer service is top of the line! I emailed them about my pup's former digestive problems with some questions and they sent me a box of samples and information for free! Very VERY helpful. She also recommended some supplements that would help.

 Quote: Bev Thibault

His skin is red, irritated, and has significant fur loss on his hind quarters.

Where exactly on his hind quarters?

Could you post some pics, too?

Poor puppy.

 Quote: michael_wise

 Quote: bev thibault

His skin is red, irritated, and has significant fur loss on his hind quarters.

Where exactly on his hind quarters?

Could you post some pics, too?

Poor puppy.

That would be good.

I'm with the others who recommend a derm vet and dumping those foods (both of which hover near the top of the crap-in-a-bag list).

Food allergies are far from the most likely problem. Please read this:
http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=134&Number=260422&Searchpage=1&Main=24978&Words=+Lori+Hall&topic=0&Search=true#Post260422


I'd start fish oil, E, and probiotics immediately, and I'd brush or comb the pup over a white sheet to look for flea dirt, too. Remember that a hypersensitive dog will be affected badly from even one exposure.

And the temperament thing worries me. Poor puppy. He sounds miserable, and that can certainly trigger temperament changes, along with antibiotics creating nausea. And his gut is being strip-mined of every beneficial "bug," so I'd be replenishing it in between doses of the antibiotic, which, as much as I hate that overkill for uncomplicated kennel cough, I'd finish up the protocol.

I'd de-flea the house carefully, too. Again, one exposure is awful to a dog with flea hypersensitivity (if he has it).