I have some skin scabs on my puppies (some very big....) that I first noticed on my puppies at only 5 days old. They are only on their backs/necks, not on legs, bellies or faces. They look just like hot spots, ranging in size from a dime to covering their whole backs.

Puppies are healthy, growing, eating, peeing, gaining weight,no problems.

The spots are not contagious, only 3/7 pups have them, and does not seem to matter if the pup is bigger/stronger or not. It heals on it's own in 7-10 days, the scabs just grow out with the fur.

I've seen in one-3 pups from 3 out of 4 of my litters this year. The vets say it's probably a staph skin infection, it's self limiting and does not need systemic treatment unless the puppies are sick or it's not resolving.

I'm very upset because it's looks awful and I feel terrible that they have they huge scabs that I cannot even soak off. I want to prevent them, but cannot see anything I'm doing that would be the cause....it's not showing up consistantly enough to see a pattern. (ie why did one litter not have any, or all the pups have it?)

Has anyone else seen this or have any experience? Thanks!

Is this like "baby cradle cap" and does it mainly appear on the heavier furred puppies?

Well I've not hear of that term before, but no, it appears on puppies with "lighter" coats as well as denser coats, mostly on the back over the flanks, and on the neck where a collar would nomally sit.

Your vet is correct, it is a staph skin infection caused by, most likely the mother's milk leaking on the puppy and not being cleaned off. It does need to be treated however and you need to get an antiseptic shampoo from your vet like Etiderm made by Virbac. You follow the directions on the bottle except do it everyday not two to three times a week. This not only can spread from puppy to puppy but spreads rapidly.
If you will E-mail me, I can give you specific instructions.

Greg has offered you the correct solution. I asked about "cradle cap" look and location as I have also experienced scab like things on the tail with very heavy coated puppies. Older breeders will tell you that is a good indication of great coat when they mature. But totally different from what you are experiencing.
Good luck.

I had the same thing - or what sounds like the same thing - on one of my "survivors" earlier this year. Vet diagnosed it as puppy strangles which I had heard of but never had before, caused by staph. Treatment was amoxicillin for 10 day, and it cleared it up - but it took almost the full 10 days.

I had that problem very bad on 3 pups, funny it was only on the female pups, it spread from a little spot to the back and legs very fast. I used the shampoo that Gregg recommended and it work like a charm. I kept one of the pups that had that problem and her coat is great, and there wasn't any other problem, no strangles not anything else. Thanks a lot Gregg.

I had something similar on 2 of my 3 puppies this past summer. The yellow male did not get any hot spot sores. I first noticed the yellow female had an odd stain on the outside of her thigh. I examined it by pulling her heavy coated hair apart and saw that the stain was a crusty sore much like a hot spot. He sore was the size of a nickel. I decided to shave that little area and used neosporin 3 times a day. My vet prescribed antibotics. I would say the pups were around 2 weeks old when I first noticed the yellow girl's sore. At the same time I examined the Black Male pup and saw he had the same scabby sore on his side of body. I shaved and put him on antibiotic, treating with neosporin. The yellow boy never did get a sore. It was all cleared up within a week.

I've never experience this before but it didn't look like strangles either. My vet suggested staph to but why didn't the yellow boy get it ? Maybe he had a stronger immune system. There was 4th puppy who was dead inside our girl but she didn't come out until 2 days after the 3rd live puppy entered the world. My vet didn't think that was the cause of the 2 pup's sores.

I was considering the derm shampoo, so that's a great suggestion, I'll try that. I have not noticed it spreading from one puppy to the next, it just seems to spread over the back of the puppy affected.

I'll email Gregg, many thanks.

Hi, I had a litter with something very similar. I had about 5 pups out of 9 affected and they seemed to have scabby, crusty areas starting at the tops of their necks and going down their backs. I took them to the vet and he recommended bathing in Chlorhexiderm 2% shampoo every 2 days, the pups improved dramatically just after their first bathing and went on to be perfectly fine. They are over a year old now and the ones I have seen have no skin issues. I think they were 4-5weeks when it started. Hope this helps! A.C.

I have a total of 5 and they are black labs and one is grey/sliver they are 8 wks old and they have the scabs on their neck and a few on their backs I have no clue what they can be ..I need to get rid of the puppies but scared to if they have them because I don't want people to think I'm a cruel person!again I have no clue what they are I need help as well

I have a litter of 9 red nose Pit/ Sheppard mix and 2 of the 9 have thick spots on their tails with almost not hair and something similar to cradle cap, kinda scabby but not oozy or anything. I just got a message from my neighbor who took one of the pups that it's starting in his puppy's tail also. What is it & what should I do? I was using Bag Balm on mom's teats and rubbed some on the puppys tails but I'm not sure it's helping. Any advice or info greatly appreciated!
Thank you so much!
Crystal

Hi Greg...can you please help me. How do I get rid of the crusties my 10 day old pup has it on its back and face. I dont want to infect the other one. Thanks