bald spots in coat

Question
hey, i have a 10 week old black great dane puppy. she has been dewormed twice and is UTD. she had fleas when i got her (she was rescued from a hoarder house type situation), but was given a dawn detergent bath (as both a local groomer and vet told me to do) and i gave her capstar (if that's what its called), but its a tablet that kills the fleas. i havent seen any on her, but she now has these little bald spots the size of a pencil top (like the roundness of an eraser-some smaller). being a groomer, have you seen this before from fleas? or do you think its a more serious problem and i should go to a vet. please give me your opinion. thanks *stacey

Answer
Hi Stacey,

Thank you for writing to me about your great dane puppy. I had answered this question but for some reason it came back to me.

The bald spots could be from a number of causes from allergies to a reaction to the flea medication to vaccinosis, etc.  It's important that your dog be seen by a vet to determine the cause.

For fleas, all you have to do is bath your dog with dawn ( baby shampoo for the face to avoid problems with burning eyes) and leave it on for 15 minutes.  This will kill the fleas.  Or you can make your own organic flea shampoo:

Making your own organic shampoo as a base for your homemade organic flea shampoo is simple, it just takes a few more ingredients and a little more time. Here is a easy organic shampoo recipe:

This recipe yields eight ounces:

Two cups of distilled water
One and a half teaspoons of soapwort root. You can find dried Soapwort at your local health food store.
Two teaspoons of essential oil

(Choose one or a combination of the following essential oils. Essential oils are available at your local health food store and online.

Lemon
Lavender
Rosemary
Geranium
Citronella
Lemon Grass
Peppermint
Combine two or more different oils for differing scents. Be sure to split the amount of essential oils you add to the shampoo accordingly).

Add six drops (total) of essential oil to every two ounces of shampoo. After you add the essential oil, mix thoroughly. If you have an eight-ounce bottle of shampoo and you are using peppermint oil, for example, add 24 drops of the essential oil.

If you want to use two different oils, just divide the total number of drops by two. Using the example above, if you want to use lemon and lavender, just add 12 drops of lemon and 12 drops of lavender.

Directions

Wash your pet thoroughly.
Let the shampoo sit for five to ten minutes.
Rinse thoroughly.

Final Tips
Here are some final tips when bathing your animals in your homemade organic flea shampoo:

Always rinse thoroughly to avoid skin irritation.
Use a flea comb. If your pet already has fleas, use a flea comb while they are lathered up to pull the fleas and the eggs away from the skin.
Avoid the face. Most animals do not like their faces getting wet. Instead, lather up your hands and gently wash over their faces.
Remember to get the hard-to-reach areas. Don't forget about washing in between your pets toes, their tails and their "armpits."
Try a rinse of organic apple cider vinegar. Fleas and ticks apparently don't like the smell or the taste of apple cider vinegar. If you want a little added protection, rinse your pet off with the vinegar and then rinse with water.

To treat your home mix up a bucket of hot water and 20 Mule Team Borax, the same that you would use in your laundry.  Wash everything generously with this liquid.  I recommend just throwing it all over the floors and rugs.

The secret to truly getting rid of fleas is to vacuum.  If the infestation is bad, vacuum twice a day, every day until they are all gone.  If your dog will let you vacuum him, be gentle on a low speed and get the fleas up into the vacuum where they will be chopped up.

I hope that your dog is merely having a reaction to the flea medication.

When you see your vet be sure that he checks your dog's thyroid with a blood test.  Great Danes are prone to skin problem caused by food allergies and thyroid disease.

Best of luck,
Shelley Davis