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bugs on puppy
We just took in a new puppy that was dropped off in our neighborhood. He's around 10 weeks old and has these sores all over his body. I looked through his fur and found a few bugs that were white and the butt of them were kinda see through. Does anyone know what these could be and how can we get rid of them? I'm scared to use most of the over the counter shampoos and flea and tick powders and whatnot because all them say for dogs over 12 weeks. Why is this? Sorry for all the questions, but I'm a new and worried doggy owner. :)
We took him to the dr and got his shots and wormer. He has either lice or sarcoptic mange. They did find lice on him and think some of the sores may be from the mange, so they gave him a shot for that. They did a few skin scrapes, but didn't see any of the mites that cause mange. Hopefully he'll get to feeling not so itchy pretty soon. Thanks for all your info!
Since this puppy was abandoned in your neighborhood, you have no idea of what his life has been like up to this point other than that which you can discern from looking at him which, from your description, doesn't sound like it was very good. Thank you for taking him in and for taking responsibility for him. I hope he rewards your kindness by becoming a wonderful addition to your family. :)
Because of the bad start he has gotten in life, the first thing you should do is make an appointment at the vet's for him. He will need his vaccinations since I would be willing to bet my paycheck that he has not had any shots at all thus far. The fact that he has some sort of external parasite load in the form of these bugs and sores all over his body means that his poor little barely-yet-functioning-on-its-own-after-weaning immune system is HORRIBLY over-taxed, so vaccinations are a MUST for him in order to keep him healthy. Should he happen to sniff where a sick (God forbid, parvo) dog has been, he will be a sitting duck to get the virus without his immunizations because he won't have the immunological strength to fight it off. I would also be willing to bet that he has not been wormed yet, either, so he probably also has a heavy internal parasite load.
While he is at the vet, you can have the doctor tell you what kind of bugs these are. I don't have any idea, based on your description, what they could be. The sores, however, have me worried that he could also have a ringworm infestation or worse, mange.
You were smart to not use any of the flea preparations on him that said they were for dogs over 12 weeks, because in his weakened state they could also prove to be too strong for him. The vet will have preparations that are designed specifically for young puppies, but PLEASE make the appointment for him first thing in the morning, because he really needs to be seen by a doctor to see what kind of problems you are dealing with here, and to get him on the road to recovery. He is too young to mess around with waiting to see if the sores heal, he needs to be seen NOW.
Please post back after you have seen the vet and let us know what the doctor said about him. It would be great if you could post a picture of him as well! As soon as you get him feeling better and parasite-free, you can really begin to have fun with him!
Ghilly
Because of the bad start he has gotten in life, the first thing you should do is make an appointment at the vet's for him. He will need his vaccinations since I would be willing to bet my paycheck that he has not had any shots at all thus far. The fact that he has some sort of external parasite load in the form of these bugs and sores all over his body means that his poor little barely-yet-functioning-on-its-own-after-weaning immune system is HORRIBLY over-taxed, so vaccinations are a MUST for him in order to keep him healthy. Should he happen to sniff where a sick (God forbid, parvo) dog has been, he will be a sitting duck to get the virus without his immunizations because he won't have the immunological strength to fight it off. I would also be willing to bet that he has not been wormed yet, either, so he probably also has a heavy internal parasite load.
While he is at the vet, you can have the doctor tell you what kind of bugs these are. I don't have any idea, based on your description, what they could be. The sores, however, have me worried that he could also have a ringworm infestation or worse, mange.
You were smart to not use any of the flea preparations on him that said they were for dogs over 12 weeks, because in his weakened state they could also prove to be too strong for him. The vet will have preparations that are designed specifically for young puppies, but PLEASE make the appointment for him first thing in the morning, because he really needs to be seen by a doctor to see what kind of problems you are dealing with here, and to get him on the road to recovery. He is too young to mess around with waiting to see if the sores heal, he needs to be seen NOW.
Please post back after you have seen the vet and let us know what the doctor said about him. It would be great if you could post a picture of him as well! As soon as you get him feeling better and parasite-free, you can really begin to have fun with him!
Ghilly
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