My Boston Terrier's hair is thinning on her head. What's the cause?

This can be signs or possible bacterial or fungal skin infection. I would recomend a vet visit to diagnose Katie's skin disease. After an exam the vet may want to perform a cytology or fungal culture to determine what is causing these lesions.

Considering that WHW terriers are seriously predisposed to skin issues (usually atopic dermatitis), I would think Lea's problem is due to a disease rather being genetic. Pictures of her coat, showing eventually any type of skin lesions, may help understanding that. It is hard at this stage to be more specific about it without pictures or more clinical informations. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

It is possible that your puppy is having a little bit of hair thinning, but it's not something that you have to address right away. Especially if it's barely noticeable. The reason I say this is because puppies are highly susceptible to overpopulation of Demodexx mites, which can cause localized or generalized hair loss with secondary infections. However if the hair loss remains in one area (localized) there is a chance Penelope can resolve this on her own as her immune system develops. Keep an eye on things for now to see how things develop, and if the hair loss worsens and forms actual patches of alopecia then it's time to see a vet at that point for skin testing and proper treatment. Also even though you don't see fleas it doesn't mean that they are not there lurking beneath the hair. They can be very inconspicuous, so it's best just to keep Penelope on monthly flea prevention, even if she just goes outside to potty. Because it's a fact that 40% of indoor dogs still get fleas, and that can lead to itching and thinning of hair also.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging from the pictures, age and breed of Tommy, this is a change commonly seen in this breed and can become more pronounced at an older age. I would monitor for now and if the hair loss progresses to other areas of the body, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her. Otherwise, the thinning of the hair will likely continue in this area.

Minor skin and coat changes can be normal in older dogs, however it is always best to rule out anything underlying such as a metabolic issues, especially if you are seeing any other changes such as weight gain/loss, irritation of the skin, increases in thirst/urination, or changes in eating habits as these can all indicate a metabolic rather than an aging problem. If he checks out healthy, it may just be that he got the genetics for having a thinner coat, whereas some dogs may go gray faster or not at all, etc. Keeping the area groomed and free of mats may help keep any remaining hair from being pulled out, and in some cases a supplement such as fish oil or vitamin E may help with overall skin and coat health.

Daisy Doodle may be suffering from a mite infection (either demodicosis or a sarcoptes mite infection). The hair loss on the back and head would point to that. This could also be a fungal or bacterial infection. Best to have your veterinarian examine your dog's skin. A mite infection is easily treated with either an avermectin injection or Bravecto chew (which also protects against fleas and ticks), a fungal infection will need fungicidal medication and a bacterial infection is usually cured with prescription antibiotics.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! The cause of hair thinning could be from multiple causes. Allergies, metabolic disease, skin infection, hair coat thinning due to temperature change, etc. are all possibilities. I would recommend using a shampoo such as Douxo PS Calm shampoo. I would also recommend using Welactin Omega 3 fish oil and essential 6 spot on by dermoscent. I hope this helps! If the hair thinning worsens or does not improve, I would recommend having your vet take a look at Twixie for further diagnostic and treatment recommendations.