Hi, please has anyone got any advice for my baby pug ?

[GemmaOliver]

Hi, I am a new user to your forums and have spent many an hour looking through the threads. I grew up with Pugs and adore them. My daughter ( 20 ) Purchased herself a pug puppy who has become part of our family. We have had her since she was 9 weeks old and is now 18 weeks. Peggy unfortunately suffered a bacterial infection on her face, she went to the vets and we have changed her bowls to stainless steel and with anti biotics her face has cleared up although her large fold in the middle of her forehead in quite pronounced still, as this is the one she kept scratching at. It is slowly growing back hair there and the rest of her face looks all but normal now with the hair growing back. She did 10 days on anti biotics and we were advised by the vet when she went that after Peggy had had a bout of tummy trouble to put her on chicken and rice for a week which we did. Peggy then decided she only ate chicken and rice. The vet suggested James Wellbeloved turkey and rice kibbles which she has been happily eating since then.

NOW ...... the problem is her tummy and leg hair, she has lost so much hair on these parts and also a smalll amount between her shoulder blades. I am convinced this is an allergy maybe to her new food or anti biotics which were both started at the same time and there was no hair loss before. The vet unfortunately wants to do 4 biopsys, which I am not keen on. She is a happy baby she has huge amounts of energy and has a fab appetite. ( she is now on Canagan grain free foood ) The vet has not once indicated it could be an allergy and like I say it seems too much of a coincidence that it isn't.

I would like to give her a while on no antibiotics and her new food to see if this was the problem before she has to go for an anaesthetic and 4 lots of stiches.

Do any of you pug owners have any advice you could give please ??

Many thanks

Gemma

[Collipops]

Gemma , my pup is on James Well beloved and he loves it but has soft stools and stinking farts! I went to Pets at Home and bought a selection of their ready balanced raw food . I keep reading that raw diets are best for pugs. I have to use up the kibble before I start transitioning him. What is the vet looking for with these biopsies? My sister had her westie to the vet loads of times with skin conditions and she researched herself and thought it was yeast. After lots of failed treatments he finally agreed to give her medication for yeast infection and it healed up right away! I would be inclined to try changing the food before going ahead with biopsies. Are the antibiotics finished now?

[AmyR]

Sorry you're having these issues. I was just wondering whether the Vet had tested for Demodex mange?

[GemmaOliver]

Hi

Thank you for your input. The vet says she is mystified so we have no idea what she is looking for :0( She also said it may not be conclusive ..... another reason I don't really want Peggy to have 4 different incisions with stitches when she is so well.

Peggy loved the James Wellbeloved too but I thought I would eliminate it as it was one of the things that was started at the same time as the antibiotics and the hair loss,

Yes, she has finished all antibiotics now.

Thank you x

[GemmaOliver]

Hi

The vet hasn't tested for anything ...... she just wants to do biopsys :0( x


I forgot to put, I also have a retriever and a lab and neither are effected with coat issues. x

[Collipops]

Sorry you're having these issues. I was just wondering whether the Vet had tested for Demodex mange?

This would seem an obvious cause to me too. I wonder has the vet considered it. How do they test for it? I remember our family dog getting it years ago and it cleared up very quickly with the treatment we got. Is your vet newly qualified Gemma? There are four at my practise and I have had four different opinions about eye problems my Deerhound has, I tend to go with what the oldest vet says, years of experience teaches more than university.

[GemmaOliver]

She is very young, mind you everyone seems that way to me these days lol ! Surely mange is highly contagious and neither of my other dogs or the cats have it ? I may be completely wrong there ! x

Also her skin is not sore or red anywhere, she scratches a little but not madly x

[GemmaOliver]

[IMG]peggy tummy[/IMG]

[Collipops]

I can't open the image. The young vet I went to wanted to operate on my Deerhounds eye. I pointed out that last time she had an anaesthetic, she nearly died! The second vet said it was warts, the third cysts. They burst and clear up on their own. I just keep them clean. I tend towards conservative treatment. I would get a second opinion if there is another vet you can go to.
Ps, from what google tells me, your other dogs could have immunity to it, if it is mange.

[GemmaOliver]

Thankyou very much for all your help. I will certainly look into another vet for a second opinion x