My puppies have itchy skin and scabs. Will medicated shampoo help?

Question

Our two puppies have skin irritation with scabs. They are scratching to the point they cry. We've tried flea baths thinking maybe they had fleas. But I have not seen any fleas on either of them. Would an antimicrobial or antifungal shampoo help. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | unneutered | 2 months and 24 days old

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Poor pups! It sounds like they're very uncomfortable. There are a number of different things that can cause skin irritation and scabs like this in puppies. Fleas are a possibility even if you aren't seeing them - they can be very good at hiding in the fur! In addition, flea baths are not very effective in my experience. Other possible causes would include allergies, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so it's important to get a diagnosis first. In addition, most of these issues will require prescription medication to treat effectively. Because of this, I would recommend taking the puppies to the vet for an exam as soon as you are able to. He/she can do some simple skin tests to help diagnose the problem and get them started on appropriate medication to treat it. You could certainly try an antibacterial or antifungal shampoo in the meantime, but there's no guarantee that it will help since we would need to know what the problem is first.

My puppies have itchy skin and scabs. Will medicated shampoo help?

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