Puppy Pomeranian Hair Loss

Question
Hello Doreen,

We have a 14 week old male Pomeranian puppy with full of spirit and totally energised however, in the past couple of weeks he appears to be going through a mange stage. Dangly legs, hair loss, itchy dry skin and hair, and looks quite unattractive at this stage. Poor little fellow. I am concerned that this is not just a normal growth stage. He eats what we eat with regular raw bones & vegies. All the best for our little man. He is a house dog with all the comforts of being a tad spoiled. No fleas and washed regularly. No lesions, no enlarged lymph nodes that I can feel, eats and drinks plenty. Not sure if he may be allergic to something? any suggestions? could it be a genetic disorder? Dermal viral? Bacterial or fungal? any dietary concerns / allergies? what treatments do you suggest please? We also have 2 mature Chihuahuas who show no signs of contracting what he may have.

Thank you kindly and what a terrific site! well done to all.


Answer
You are right in thinking this isn't a normal growth spurt.
Mind you I'm not a vet but it sounds to me like it could be one of several things.
First off it could be an allergic reaction. Unfortunately most owners think they are spoiling their dog and doing a great thing by feeding it what they eat.
But to great dismay that is a myth. A dog especially a smaller breed has a very sensitive stomache and cannot digest the foods like we can. So this is actually causing
more harm than good. He could be having an allergic reaction
to the foods you are feeding him.
 I own a small breed also and use a brand called Royal Canin which has breed specific food. It is specially formulated for each different breed. There is a different type of food for each breed...Yorkies,dashuands,poodle,and yes for Pomeranian. The product can usually be found at specialty stores for pets. I can give you a 1800 number and
a web site at the end of this note to look into .
 It could also be that he has a skin disorder that needs to
be taken care of by a vet,for which he might need a topical
cream or even antibiotics.
 How often are you bathing him? It could be he is being bathed to often. Once every two to three weeks is more than enough. To much bathing will deplete his natural skin oils that actually protect his skin, thus causing dry , itchy skin,and sometimes can cause hairloss due to scratching.
 There are some ways to help ease these symptoms and also
help bring a dogs coat back to it's original state. He can
be given a bath with oatmeal shampoo for dogs. A groomer
usually has a good medicated oatmeal shampoo on hand. Use
a generous amount and work into a good lather.Let sit for
about three mins or so, then rinse well making sure all soap
is washed off. If you want to you can also use an organic
based or all natural moisturizing conditioner after the shampoo. Agian make sure you rinse well. If you don't you
end up leaving a residue of soap or conditioner which when
it dries causes itchy skin,and defeats what you are trying
to do. Once bathed towel dry , do not use a dryer of any  sort to allow some moisture on the skin to remain. Then use
Gold Bond medicated powder liberally on the more raw or infected areas,but still use all over. If he still has the
itches try giving him benodryl. Use children's strength seeing he is a puppy. Just follow the weight instructions.If
unsure call a vet they will let you know how much he can have.
This bathing procedure can be done every 2 or 3 weeks. If
his hair doesn't start to regrow in a couple of weeks then
it could be something more serious. Which in that case seek
medical attention.
 I hope I have been of some help.
Here is the web site for the Royal Canin food..
www.royalcanin.us  
1-800-592-6687
Doreen