Why is my 5-month-old Doberman puppy not eating and losing hair?

This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat her with a high quality flea treatment (e.g. advocate or advantage), then get her to the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try discovering the cause of the allergy. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). simultaneously you should start her on a prescription hypoallergenic diet for at least 2 months. Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider putting her on a long term allergy treatment (Atopica or Apoquel).

Hair loss can be due to skin diseases including mite or flea infections or bacterial or fungal infections including ringworm. Hair loss can also be caused by autoimmune disorders that affect the skin. Finally, endocrine diseases including hypothyroidism and Cushings disease can also cause hair loss. I recommend you take Duke to your veterinarian for a full work up. You vet will likely want to do skin scrapings to check for mites or other skin infections as well as complete blood work to rule out endocrine diseases, Once the cause of the hair loss has been determined, appropriate treatment can be described. The good news is that with the correct medications, Duke may likely regrow all his hair.

I wouldn't cut back Shelby's food just yet. A sudden change in appetite can be a sign of a medical issue, so I would schedule her a health check with the vet first to make sure everything is ok. She is beautiful, by the way!

Simba could have a parasites such as fleas, demodex, or scapies causing hair loss. Some of these would make him itchy too, but some would not. A vet can look for these parasites during an exam with some simple testing. In terms of the food, I don't recommend a vegetarian food for dogs. But I also doubt a vegetarian diet would cause hair loss unless Simba was already really sick from it. So probably unrelated. Do switch to a regular puppy food with meat if at all possible.

Your dog should be on puppy food for at least the first year of his life. I worry that he's not getting the right balance of nutrient in the diet you're giving him now and that can lead to a number of health problems now and in the future. If you want to continue to make his food at home, ask your veterinarian for advice, find out if there is a veterinary nutritionist you can consult with for a recipe that will meet his nutritional needs or go to the website for the American College of Veterinary Nutritionists and consult with one there. http://www.acvn.org/

Hair loss can be related to many things but is not generally associated with any condition causing a lack of appetite. Hair loss is typically associated with skin infections, allergies or parasites. A loss of appetite can be related to many things, from illness to stress. Your best option is to have Lusib examined by the veterinarian. This will give you the answer and treatment the fastest. I hope this helps.

When you say he hasn’t eaten in 2 days I am not clear if you mean he hadn’t eaten in the days before you got him, or if he hasn’t eaten with you the last 2 days. Puppies want to eat. If he is being offered food but not eating then I would be very concerned and recommend that he be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible. The hairless spots on the skin can be multiple problems, but most common would be a mite called demodex. It is usually seen when the immune system is weak. If there are just a few spots often they will resolve as the puppy grows and gets stronger. But if there are many areas or large areas there is a treatment available. I am more concerned about the eating than the skin at this point. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon! Thank you for using Pet Coach.