# Puppy uglies....Help please????



## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

Hi, 
My 10 week old puppy, tiko, appears to be losing / thinning his hair on his head and throat. 

View attachment 25362


I have googled this and found that it could be the 'puppy uglies'. This is apparently a chihuahua trait and happens between 8 and 12 weeks old. It usually goes right in 2 week to a month. Had anyone else heard of this? And could possibly give me any more info??? I'd be so great full


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## doginthedesert (Oct 10, 2011)

It could be- but that also looks like it could be a skin problem. Where do you live (some places have more parasites than others) and has the puppy been to a vet? If it is fungal or something the vet could do a skin scraping. Has Tiko been wormed or treated for any parasites?


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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

Hi doginthedesert,
we live in Derbyshire, UK.
Tiko was at the vets yesterday getting his last injection. i didn't think to mention it. 
hes been wormed with milbemax and flead with frontline combo.
he isn't itching / scratching or anything. i haven't bathed him (so not an allergy to shampoo) I have read that vets often end up doing skin scrapes/blood tests etc because they don't recognise it as a small breed trait. 
I really don't know what to do :/


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## doginthedesert (Oct 10, 2011)

If he is not scratching/itching and he was wormed/is on a flea preventative and was at the vet yesterday then I tend to agree- it might just be a puppy thing. But if it gets worse, or red, or starts bothering him, or does not go away soonish would probably be worth a trip.


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## lilbabyvenus (Feb 8, 2009)

I agree, it looks more like a skin issue.


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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

i read another site that said they look 'hen pecked' - like a hen pulled tufts of fur out and it looks like this to me. ill have to keep an eye on it and the skin for redness/ itching etc. will be straight to the vets if its bothering him....or would you go anyway?


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## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

It doesn't look normal to me. It could very well be a parasite or allergy issue. What are you feeding your pup?


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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

hes eating pedigree puppy- tins and dry complete.
are you going to tell me that's bad? lol :/


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## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

Tilly tiko said:


> hes eating pedigree puppy- tins and dry complete.
> are you going to tell me that's bad? lol :/



How did you know? 

Yes it's pretty bad, full of fillers and garbage that does absolutely no good to
your pup's system. Would you consider switching to a high quality grain free
food? There is a lot of reading material/threads regarding nutrition on this forum.
I'm more than happy to help, offer some good foods if you like.


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## Rolo n Buttons (Sep 22, 2012)

Hi there! I'm going to stick my oar in! I'm in Kent. I had my 2 on Royal Canin. Crap. Lol. I've switched to Canagan, a dry kibble, all natural, no fillers, beet pulp etc. Its the same price as Royal Canin, but is so much better. They love it, they have the free range chicken variety. They also have a little bit of wet food, not because they need it but purely because they like it. They are both lovely and shiny after about 3 months on it. It's a lot cheaper than a lot of the other food out there and believe me, I researched extensively! A good quality food really does pay off with chi's. Good luck! 


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## Aquarius (May 8, 2009)

As he is only 10 weeks old, he'd only be a couple of weeks on his food- so I really doubt it's that,
The puppy uglies usually hit in more around 15-20 weeks and is more of an all over scraggliness rather than actually losing hair in specific places.

It could be a skin problem or it might even be alopecia, if he has blue in his lines - not sure if it can kick in this early though.

I would definitely get the vet to have a look


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## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

Aquarius said:


> It could be a skin problem or it might even be alopecia, if he has blue in his lines - not sure if it can kick in this early though.



Yes, it can absolutely be alopecia, even this young. We had a blue rescue 
pup who started losing his hair around 8 weeks. A quality diet will only help 
her pooch though, so the switch is important either way imo.


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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

ok, so i need to change his food....any recommendations would be greatfully received  (im in the UK btw...so no American brand please lol)
when i got him the breeder sent him to me with 2 tins of supermarket own brand adult food :/ 
he has got blue in him but it is more a thinning than baldness (alopecia).
think another vet trip is on the cards - i just didn't want to put him thru any tests etc if other people recognised, it as something usual or harmless.


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## Aquarius (May 8, 2009)

I agree LS, changing the food can only be good - but the first thing is to find out what it actually is and it can't be related to food at this early stage.

Interesting to know that alopecia can kick in that early

There are much better foods out there than Pedigree and they eat such little amounts it doesn't cost a fortune to feed them the best quality foods


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## Aquarius (May 8, 2009)

In UK - you can get dehydrated raw which is very popular on here - it's called Ziwipeak.

You can also get kibbles - Orijen, Acana, Eden, I think Fromm is available too.

A lot of members here feed raw too and there are some amazingly informative threads on that


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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

as im sat here tiko and my other Chihuahua (18mth) are play fighting like mad and it occurred to me that maybe he got bumped or scuffed...what do you think? could this possibly cause it?
ill have a read up on alternative feeding options. i like the sound of raw feeding - just not sure i could prepare it as im vegetarian :/


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## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

Jane just gave you my favorite options...a balanced raw diet, Ziwipeak or Orijen. 
Orijen is from Canada, but if you can get it in UK that's great, it's the ultimate
kibble imo, a personal favorite that also does wonders for skin & coat(which 
any dog can benefit from) is the Six Fish Orijen, the Regional Red is amazing as well.


And yes a vet visit to rule out parasites is in order. Better safe than sorry.If it's
early stages of mange for example, it'll be very easy and pretty inexpensive to
diagnose and treat. From a picture all we can do is guess based on our
experience, at the end of the day you can't beat a vet visit, you know.

Best of luck with your cutie!


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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

thanks for your feeding opinions LS, Ill certainly be researching an alternative. 
as for his hair, hell be back to the vets asap. better safe than sorry


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## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

Tilly tiko said:


> thanks for your feeding opinions LS, Ill certainly be researching an alternative.
> as for his hair, hell be back to the vets asap. better safe than sorry



I'm hoping it's something easy to treat, either mild parasites or allergy. Or better
yet nothing other than a little scruff of fur missing from a rough play session. Let
us know how the vet goes and also if you find a good food that you & your pup
are happy with. Best of luck.


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## queen princess (Jun 5, 2013)

try and upgrade the food. pedigree is not a very good food. if you google pedigree dog food review, it will take you to the Pet food advisor. it is only a 1 star out of 5 stars food. at the very minimum, you want no corn wheat or soy in the food and meat to be the first 2 spots.


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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

just wanted to add....
im not the sort of owner that doesn't do vets ...my other chi has had a patella luxation operation and treatment for phantom pregnancys (booked to be spayed in September). if they need the vets then they go and the cost isn't an issue. just don't like to cause upset to my babies unnecessarily. 
will keep you all informed xx


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## WinniesMum (Jan 20, 2013)

Hey just wanted to recommend some UK based foods. Eden is an 80% meat kibble - very good qual and is relatively cheap compared to brands like orijen and ziwipeak, they are imported so come with a hefty price tag! Another brand is natural instinct - It's a raw wet food and is pretty cheap, however you have to buy in bulk - 12KG - and it has to be frozen so a big freezer is a must. 
Natural Instinct - Frozen raw human-grade meat dog food, the dog breeders' choice.
Eden Holistic Pet Foods


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## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

Tilly tiko said:


> just wanted to add....
> im not the sort of owner that doesn't do vets ...my other chi has had a patella luxation operation and treatment for phantom pregnancys (booked to be spayed in September). if they need the vets then they go and the cost isn't an issue. just don't like to cause upset to my babies unnecessarily.
> will keep you all informed xx



No need to add that, I never got the impression you were. 
Quite the opposite, you are asking questions, researching,
you sound like a very caring dog owner. It's nice to have
you here. I hope you find this forum fun & useful.


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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

Thanks winniesmum. I've just been reading up and Eden is coming up a lot. 
And LS ...thanks for your kind comment. It was just as I reread my comments it sounded to me like I might have come across like I'd rather not go to the vets. Whereas this isn't the case at all.  
Looking forward to making lots of chihuahua people friends  x


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## Rolo n Buttons (Sep 22, 2012)

Tilly tiko said:


> Thanks winniesmum. I've just been reading up and Eden is coming up a lot.
> And LS ...thanks for your kind comment. It was just as I reread my comments it sounded to me like I might have come across like I'd rather not go to the vets. Whereas this isn't the case at all.
> Looking forward to making lots of chihuahua people friends  x


Just a little note, I tried a sample of Eden with mine and they didn't like it as it is a little bit fishy and mine don't like fish. Has Salmon oil in I think. Also when I looked into it the Orijen and Ziwipeak are majorly expensive here. Canagan was the best quality food I could find at a non-ridiculous price. For example 6kg bag Orijen puppy- £40. Ziwipeak dog Lamb pouch, 5kg-£80!!!!
Canagan free range chicken, 6kg, £37. I get the 2kg bag for £15 and that lasts mine quite a few weeks. 


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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

thanks rolo n buttons, hmmmm that's what worries me - buying expensive bags of food for them not to like it. they should do little taster pots lol
im going to pets at home tomorrow to look whats available....and to buy tiko a puppy harness. he can go out in 10 day and i cant wait! hes been wearing tillys old puppy one in the house (to get used to it) but that's pink and it would be so cruel to make him wear it outdoors! lol


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## intent2smile (Dec 4, 2011)

Tilly tiko said:


> thanks rolo n buttons, hmmmm that's what worries me - buying expensive bags of food for them not to like it. they should do little taster pots lol
> im going to pets at home tomorrow to look whats available....and to buy tiko a puppy harness. he can go out in 10 day and i cant wait! hes been wearing tillys old puppy one in the house (to get used to it) but that's pink and it would be so cruel to make him wear it outdoors! lol


If you contact a lot of the dog food companies they will send you samples. At least I know they will here in the States. We have gotten samples from ZP in the past.


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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

intent2smile said:


> If you contact a lot of the dog food companies they will send you samples. At least I know they will here in the States. We have gotten samples from ZP in the past.


what a good idea...not sure how successful it will be. worth a try tho. x


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## first_time_chi_owner (Oct 12, 2012)

I tried ZP but mine didnt like it. The customer services were fantastic and emailed a free sample. Next stop was eden (I'm UK based) agreed it does smell fishy!!! They too sent a free sample then we bought after that  hope that helps a little 


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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

all the comments are helping loads! thanks everyone


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

Hi, welcome to CP. TBH, you are unlikely to find a decent brand in [email protected] Most people in the UK either order online or buy from specialist pet shops. Do you have the Pets Corner chain near to you? They carry Orijen, Acana, ZiwiPeak and Canagan, amongst others, and offer sensible advice (another thing you can't get in [email protected] lol)
Eden has to be ordered from the company. Natural Instinct is a great way to feed raw if you don't want to handle raw meat, as is Wolf Tucker. Have a look at whichdogfood.co.uk which is the UK equivalent of dogfoodadvisor.com

ETA It isn't all that easy to see from your pic, but is Tiko chocolate or lilac? If he is lilac, that is a form of blue colouring, so it could possibly be colour dilution alopecia.


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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

Tiko is chocolate but has got blue in his genes. 
I'm not sure where the nearest pets corner is. Will google it x


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## Judenmink (May 1, 2013)

This looks exactly like what Mr Chi had! I put a thread with a pic on here. I will see if I can find it and 'bump' it for you.
Mr Chis head started to bald, then it got little lumps which dried up and went scabby. I took him to vet and he took a scraping. After 3 weeks (!) they all came back clear for bacterial, fungal and parasitical infestations.
The vet did suggest applying Stronghold at the time of the consultation in case it was demodectic mange. I did do this and I also changed from high quality kibble to raw food. It started to gradually clear up
Within a month it was undetectable. I will never know if it was the Stronghold or the raw diet that did the trick but I love raw! Mr Chis coat got so much smoother and shinier. So it was worth it anyway. I would recommend trying both. I dont know if you are uk or not but Stronghold is a spot on treatment that kills practically EVERY parasite. They dont all do that so use the right one. It does have to come from the vets you cant buy it in shops. And go raw...you wont regret it and your dog will love you for it! Good luck 

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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

Thanks for that information judenmink. I would love to see the pic of mr chi with it. Yes I'm in Derbyshire UK. I'm going to take him to the vets on Monday so hopefully it will be sorted. It doesn't seem to be bothering him at all- no redness, itching, or anything. Would have expected mange to be really itching him. :/
What raw do you feed your baby? X


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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

Just to update you all. Just got back from the vets with tiko. Took a scrape of his skin (poor mite has a sore graze on his head now). vet spent about 15 minutes looking at it under microscope and couldn't see anything. She thinks it could just be his puppy fur coming out.... So I possibly was correct in thinking puppy uglies! Lol. Got to keep an eye on him and take back to vet if he's itching, worsening, red skin. Or if the hair doesn't grow back where he now has a graze on his head.  my poor puppy x


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## Chihuahuaobsession (Apr 27, 2013)

It may be demodex mange, or mange in general. Go to the vet and ask for a skiing scrape, will tell you immediately not normal. If its not itchy it's probably demodex mange


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## Judenmink (May 1, 2013)

Tilly, I was lucky enough to wim a crate of Natural Instinct
Its a frozen raw food madr up of human grade meat, ground bone and offal in the correct proportions. Simce then I have changed brands as i cant buy N.I near me. I cant remember the brand but it is the same as N.I and comes in blocks that last Mr Chi 4 or 5 days.
I also give him a raw chicken portion 2ce a week and an egg complete with shell!
I was really scared about giving bones at first but did lots of reasearch and its fine. Mr Chi loves them and crunches them up no problem.
I too thought Mr Chis patch could have been rough play to star with..but then it went bumpy..then scabby. Did you see the pic? I bumped it for you. Search 'lumpy, scabby rash,' Your situation sounds exactly the same as mine.

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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

Hi chihuahuaobsession, see my comment before yours. He's been to vets and had a skin scrape. No mites were present. X


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

There is loads of great advice about feeding raw in the Diet & Nutrition forum, raw feeding has it's own section.


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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

Judenmink 
Yes I saw your other post. It does look similar to what tiko has. Just been to the vets with him. She took a skin scape and was looking at it under microscope for ages but couldn't see anything. No mites. She said it possibly is his puppy fur coming out but to keep an eye on it and return if I'm concerned. 
What bones do you feed your chi? Think I'd be so scared to so it :/ x


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

There is a sticky on what bones are suitable for Chis, by Brodysmom, our resident raw feeding expert.
I feed chicken portions, (I section up chicken carcasses too) lamb and pork ribs and necks, pigs tails, rabbit portions, wood pigeon and pheasant when I can get it, chicken and turkey necks. Even a tiny chi can deal with much bigger bones than you would expect.


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## Judenmink (May 1, 2013)

I am still building my repetoire of bones Tilly 
At the moment he has only had chicken portions/wings or necks. I am still trying to find suppliers of other types. Dont be scared..just give the ready mixed frozen sort until you build up your confidence and start to see the benefits. Remember chewing bones is good for the calming, satisfying proprrties and is good for thier teeth. Also do as others have suggested and check out the raw feeding section of this forum.

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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

Where would I get these chicken necks etc from? A normal butcher? Don't they choke on the bones? How much do they need to be fed? This is scary stuff for a vegetarian lol. I'm going to try to find the feeding raw chat section.  xx


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## queen princess (Jun 5, 2013)

my 3-4 pound toy poodle can EASILY down a chicken leg bone or thigh bone.


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## Princess chi chi (Sep 14, 2011)

Bumping this post... Did his fur grow back?x


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## Tilly tiko (Jun 6, 2013)

Yeah. It didn't get any worse and It grew back fine. Must have been the puppy uglies ... He's not ugly now tho  x


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