Why is my dog's head bald after e-collar removal and neutering?

Poor Sharky! The area of his hair loss is certainly consistent with irritation from his collar. From the pictures, it looks as though Sharky may also be wearing a flea collar, and these products can actually cause a lot of skin irritation in more sensitive dogs. Other causes of the hair loss could be related to hypothyroidism, mange, hormonal imbalances, among other issues. At this point, consider taking all collars (flea or normal collars) off of Sharky and use a harness to walk him until the hair loss resolves. You can also try bathing Sharky in a gentle oatmeal based pet shampoo since this can be soothing on the skin. Make sure that Sharky is regularly receiving a high quality flea and tick preventative, such as Nexgard, Bravecto, or K9 Advantix II in case a flea allergy could be contributing to this issue. If he starts to itch and scratch, if the hair loss worsens or does not begin to improve in the next few weeks, Sharky will need to go to his vet for further evaluation. I hope this helps and that he's feeling better soon!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Henry. Did his veterinarian see him again after treatment to confirm the infection had resolved? This is important because the external ear can look normal, but discharge can still be present deep within the canal. This will contribute to ongoing itching. So that would be my first recommendation if it had not already been done. Otherwise, you can place an E-collar on him at night to prevent any further self trauma to the area. The skin appears healthy in the picture so I do not believe he needs any topical treatment at this time. I hope this information helps!

It looks like Tank could have what we call a "hot spot" or a superficial pyoderma (bacterial infection of the skin). You can read more about this issue at https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952981 . I would recommend bringing him in to see the vet. We often need to shave these areas and clean them with an antiseptic cleaner. Then sometimes an oral antibiotic/steroid is needed, others times a topical spray such as Gentocin spray is prescribed. I would be careful having him outside with this wound as it can attract flies/maggots which you don't want to deal with! I would recommend keeping him primarily indoors until the lesion is healed.

There are two possible reasons for this: 1) since he is shedding a lot anyway at the moment the additional rubbing of the collar is "helping" shed more and faster, 2) He may have a sin reaction to the collar and therefore the Hair falls out. As long as the skin looks healthy, not red, no injuries or rash present, I do not think you have to worry. You may want to take off the collar for a while to eliminate mechanical rubbing damaging the fur.

This is commonly seen when they get a skin infection (aka hot-spots). The neck is a common place for this to happen, because moisture often gets trapped under their collar and/or loose skin. It appears to be minor, so you can try a couple of things at home to get clear the infection. 1) Clip the hair around the area and expose all of the lesion(s). There may be more than one of these. 2) Wash the area with warm water and a medicated shampoo (can get this at the pet store) once a day. Use a cloth and gently wipe away the scabs. Do not scrub, because it will irritate the skin more. It's OK if all of the scabs do not come off in each washing. 3) Make sure the area is completely dry after washing. 4) Leave the collar off. You should start seeing good results within a week after starting this. It may take a few weeks before it's completely cleared. If two weeks go by and it's not getting any better, then it's best to have a veterinarian exam it. Also, if it appears to get worse, then take him to the vet for treatment. I hope that helps and this gets cleared up soon.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

It could be that he suffered an injury in that spot, causing the hair loss. It can take weeks to months for fur to grow back in fully. It could also be due to a medical illness such as ringworm. It's always a good idea to have any hairless spots checked out by vet to determine if there is a medical problem causing it so it can be treated as needed.