flea allergy or pup mange

[MyLilly1]

How do u know the differance between flea allergy and puppy mange? When Lilly was at the vet they said they wanted to keep an eye on the "thinning" hair on her forehead and may do a skin scrape in a couple weeks. There is no hair on her belly and very little on her chest now there is just a very thin amt of hair on her neck,very little. The rest of her coat is thick black and velvety The vet said she did have fleas, she was groomed and treated for fleas, they said she could be allergic. I also talked to the lady I got her from and she said Lilly's mother was highly allergic to fleas and ticks it would even cause her to have seizures. My mom keeps telling me that chihuahua's sometimes have little to no hair on tummy and chest??? I know she has several moles with old man wiskers coming out which is all Chihuahua LOL any suggestions? I know I'll find out for sure at her next vet visit in 2 weeks but if it is puppy mange can it hurt her????

 

[crazedACD]

Running out the door, but do you have any pics?

A skin scrape would be best to determine 100%.

 

[mutts]

Chihuahuas and other smooth coat breeds tend to be bald or have thinning hair in certain areas-- chest, around eyes, behind the knees and on the forehead. It might not be either flea allergies or mange. Mange would be obvious-- mange (demodectic), the puppy would be bald spots all over the place and would have sores and scabs (secondary infection). May I ask why your vet didn't do a scraping right then and there?? Most dogs have demodex mites but only a few (puppies that don't have their full immune system and also immune-compromised dogs) will be effected by them. Most of the time vets don't medicate right away with a puppy... they wait to see how their immune system will deal with the mites. If the infection starts effecting other areas then they will medicate. I would take her back for a skin scraping. It's not painful and very simple. Good luck.

 

[mutts]

Puppy with demodex mange-- http://www.flickriver.com/photos/eldad75/4448889503/
Puppy with demodex mites-- http://www.vet.utk.edu/hairloss/demodicosis.html

If you have pictures of it that would be very helpful!!

 

[mutts]

I know I'll find out for sure at her next vet visit in 2 weeks but if it is puppy mange can it hurt her????

Puppy mites are fairly normal. They CAN potentially turn into mange but only if the immune system doesn't fight them off first. It's much better for a puppy to get mites when they are puppies then to get an adult infestation!

 

[MyLilly1]

MUTTS- Not sure why no scraping yet, he said to treat the fleas first and she is getting free vet care right now from my bff's fiance who is the vet so i didn't want to push my luck. Everything u said about chi and the thinning hair sounds just like what's going on, she has no bald "spots" or scrapes, she is perfect and beautiful and as of now flea free as well

Crazed I can't figure out how to post pics