Puppy pyoderma/ demodex/ itchy rash help…..

[Gazdw]

Hi can anyone help please. We have a beautiful frenchie cross puppy she is 5 months old and has been two 2 vets now. Initally she was on a dry chicken food from the breeder which we weened her off and put her on lifestyle salmon dry food. From the pictures you will see the issue when we got her she initially just has few raised bumps on her head which we thought was from play fighting. This spread all the way down her spine and became red itchy lumps including hair loss. She was put on shampoo from vets, given bravecto and two week treatment of antibiotics…. She is now 5 months old and she is so much better but still is itchy only on her back near her tail the vet also noticed her glands are raised in neck. Shes had another bravecto incase is demodex mites causing issue and a course of prednicare steroid. Which did stop the itch but now has come back immediately at the end of the course?!! Can anyone please help? As you can see by the last picture shes nearly got all her fur back but the itch and the small spot like blister on belly and flare ups keep coming back and we dont want the same to
happen again

Isn’t pyoderma usually a symptom of a bigger issue? Have you tried changing her food up? Or reverting to what rhe breeder had her on? Breeders often use particular food for a reason - that being said, I’m loath to call someone who bred a ‘Frenchie cross’ a breeder. What’s she crossed with?

It’s also very common in Frenchies. So this is about management not cure

Hi yes so basically she is 3/4 frenchie and 1/4 spaniel. Mom is full pedigree and dad was halfnhalf. It was an accidental pregnancy, loathed to put her back on chicken based dryfood totally agree on what your saying, hence in the header that the vets initaally suspected to many demodex mites causing issue or an allergy. Just looking to see if anyone else has had similar issues and ways to hell ease the itch

I think frenchies have taken over from Westies as being really prone to skin allergies. Do you have insurance?

I would ideally (if cost not a worry)
take skin scrapings etc for parasites (though unlikely if on Bravecto)
try a diet trial on hydrolysed food (such as hills z/d or royal canin an allergenic) 8 weeks feeding no other foods/treats/titbits
I would consider switching the steroids to something like apoquel as dogs need to be off steroids for 6 weeks prior to allergy testing
if the diet trial doesn’t resolve the skin, get allergy tests done.

She has insurance but were not minted, but she is our baby so obviously we just want to get it sorted. The vets advice was that most tests cant or shouldn’t be done til their at least one. I appreciate all the responses :) thankyou

Frenchies already have awful skin and yours looks like a blue - have you heard of colour dilution alopecia? I'd be worried your vets haven't brought it up, it's normally staffs I've heard of having it but it can affect any diluted colour. Pyoderma pretty much means infected/pus producing skin vs being a real diagnosis, and dermodex is easily ruled out once treated. It could also be food allergies but if I was you I'd look into some fb groups for CDA (colour dilution alopecia) with her being blue. There's no real treatment but it can be managed just like food allergies.