Why is my Chihuahua's hair falling out around the edges of his ears?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. 

There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. 

 Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). 

If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests.

 Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!


This is sometimes an autoimmune disease skin issue so it’s important to have your veterinarian examine Mozzie and not try to treat it like a skin infection at home. I would be concerned that the hair loss might actually be a vasculitis and this can happen with many different kinds of autoimmune diseases. Your vet may have to do bloodwork and potentially even skin biopsies under anesthesia to figure out what’s going on. Hopefully it’s not something major, but the only way to find out is to have him checked out. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If he is itchy at all then it could be due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on your description, it sounds as if Daisy may have a skin allergy or infection. If she is losing hair behind her ears, she may be scratching at the base of her ears due to an ear infection. If her ears look infected, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so you can get the infection treated with prescription ear medication. Below are some recommended products, which you can find online, that you can try to see if these help relieve the symptoms you are seeing. If the condition worsens or does not resolve, I would recommend having her examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Douxo PS Chlorhexidine combination shampoo and bathe twice weekly until resolved 2. Malacetic conditioning spray and apply to the affected areas 2-3 times per day until resolved 3. Essential 6 spot on by Dermoscent 4. Douxo PS Calm mousse and apply to the entire body once daily on the non-shampoo days.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I agree with you that this could be something like mange. Generally this is easily diagnosed with a physical examination and basic cytology. I recommend that you have Bertha evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They can start therapy for her if this is confirmed. They can also give her something to improve her comfort and relief some of that itchiness. The only way to relief her symptoms is by treating her infection. Good luck and have a good night! I hope she gets better soon!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concerns. It is difficult to say for sure what is causing the hair loss and itching on the back of the ear based on the photo alone. However, I would assume that this is likely related to a potential ear infection. I would recommend taking Ollie in to be seen by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made.

Hair loss can be caused by a number of things. The most common one would be demodectic mange (caused by the Demodex mite). Other possible causes include fleas, lice, infections, ringworm, and allergies. I would recommend that you have Makivali examined by the vet to make a diagnosis and receive appropriate treatment.