Archive for May 26th, 2008

Ask the Veterinarian - Thinning Hair on a Frenchie Puppy

lorihuntdvm May 26th, 2008

I have a great little Frenchie pup, 6 months old, neutered and just a delight. My question is:

We got him at about 4 1/2 months and he had a tiny little patch of thinning hair on his head and one on the back of his neck. When he had his first checkup our Vet did a scraping of it (I hadn’t even noticed it was there), but it came back negative.

The scraped area grew back, but now he is getting more thinning spots. I don’t see him scratching and he is with me almost all day. If this keeps up he is going to get pretty funny looking. Nothing has changed in our home and he is eating an all natural food (Spots stew - dry puppy formula)

Nobody seems to have any idea including the breeder we got him from and she is a Vet herself. She did mention that his sister (she kept her to show) had a few thin spots that grew back, but she just thought the other dogs might have been chewing on her.

I do not use any over the counter flea, or tick products, just vet prescribed heart worm and flea control monthly.

Any idea of insight would be appreciated!

Dr. Lori writes -

I would definitely have him re-scraped. Often times the scrapes come up negative even when mites are present. Usually you need to scrape several places and have all be negative on a few different occasions to rule out mites.

Most often demodex mites will clear on their own, but if he is getting more spots, he may need a little help. If necessary, treatment can be ivermectin orally and/or special follicular flushing shampoos or wipes can help as well.

I have had good luck using Revolution (a topical flea and heartworm treatment) in cases where I either have suspected or confirmed demodex, you may want to discuss this with your vet as well.

Lori Hunt, DVM
French Bulldogs d’Assisi

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Ask the Veterinarian - French Bulldog with Ruptured Disk

lorihuntdvm May 26th, 2008

Back in December, my 4 and 1/2 yr old Frenchie ruptured a disc in his back. At first he could not use his hind legs at all . After a week or two he was up and has improved to about 85%.

We had him on arthritis meds and they work pretty well. We also went for acupucture, that did not work out. We were told that chances are surgery would not make much of a difference. He is doing pretty well but I am still looking for ways to improve his situation. We were told it could still fuse.

Can you give us any other suggestions to help him?

Dr. Lori Writes -

Your poor little guy!

Sounds like he is managing fairly well without surgery, so that is a good sign.

You may want to try some joint supplements such as glucosamine, chondroitin, omega fatty acids, etc.

I currently have one of my dogs on Glycoflex III Chews, which have all of this and then some. This may help provide natural antioxidants and antiinflammatories that may help him cope. Another thing I would highly recommend is hydrotherapy, either by swimming or an underwater treadmill.

Both will help him build muscle without the stress of weight bearing…

Lori Hunt, DVM
French Bulldogs d’Assisi

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