My dog has a bald spot but no other symptoms. What could it be?

If there was supposed to be a picture attached to this question I apologized but it isn’t here. Bald spots can be caused by numerous issues, but a very common mite called Demodex is probably one of the most common causes. Low thyroid function can also cause hair loss. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. Adult dogs who have demodex often have other problems making their immune system less robust. Best of luck and I hope you find an answer soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

The area on Desi's back does not seem irritated, infected or swollen. I would continue to monitor it. Start by taking a ruler and measuring the affected area. In a week check back to see if it has gotten larger or smaller. It larger I would alter Desi in for an examination by her vet. There are several causes of hair loss, but he most common is traumatic biting by dogs when they have an itch in their skin. This could be caused by allergies or parasites. Best of luck with Desi and please ask as many questions as you need while this skin issues is being monitored. We are here to help!

Hi there! I'm so sorry to hear about Leo's troubles. Dogs can get itchy and lose hair for a variety of reasons. When a dog comes into the office to see me for itchy skin and hair loss, the first thing I do is make sure they don't have any mites or parasites, or a skin infection of some kind, like a bacterial infection, or even something like ringworm. It's really important to check these things as ringworm and some mites can be contagious to people. Once I make sure these things aren't an issue, I can start considering allergies (which can develop really any time throughout a dog's life), and even some metabolic diseases. Certain hormonal issues can cause hair loss, especially symmetrical hair loss. Therefore depending on the dogs age, and what I'm able to do in one visit, I may run skin tests and labwork all at once. Until you get in to see a veterinarian, the vetericyn plus products are very nice for cleaning the skin. That may help alleviate some discomfort if there is any of that as well. I hope Leo feels better very soon! Best of luck!

That spot on Elma could be several things including allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection, ringworm (which humans can get) or endocrine disease. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. You can wash the lesion once a day (not her whole body, just the lesion). Also protect the area from trauma by having your pup wear an elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesion does not start improving within a week or if it is getting worse, have her examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Itchy skin and hair loss is often due to the following things: 1) Allergies - this can happen suddenly and is usually due to an environmental (i.e pollen) cause. 2) External parasites - fleas, lice and mites can all cause intense itching. It's good to check him for fleas and get treatment if needed. The permethrin shampoo is only temporary, so it's possible that he is getting re- infested. He may have mites, which are microscopic and require a vet to find. 3) Over-bathing, or using the wrong product for bathing - Bathing too often can cause the skin to get dry and irritated. Dogs should normally be bathed no more than once a month with a shampoo that is labeled for dogs. If you bathe more than that, or use a shampoo or soap that is meant for people, then you could be damaging the normal protective barrier of the skin. One thing you can do for itchy skin, is give a bath with cool water using an oatmeal or aloe shampoo. You can get these shampoos at the pet store. I hope this helps you to identify the problem. If not, then it would be worth taking him to the vet. We can usually discover the cause quickly and provide the most effective treatment. Below are some links to articles that should be helpful for you: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-allergies/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-great-strategies-for-relieving-your-dog-s-allergies/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/skin-allergies-vs-food-allergies/

A bald spot could be caused by allergies, skin infection, mites, ringworm, etc. You could bath him with a medicated dog shampoo and see if that helps. If not, have your vet examine him to determine the cause. He may need an antibiotic, anti-histamine, corticosteroid, or other medications to help treat the problem. You could also add Free Form Snip Tips to his diet and see if that helps to keep his skin and coat healthy.

Hair loss can have a variety of causes. One of the first things to determine is whether he is scratching himself in that area or not. Dogs often scratch themselves at night when we are sleeping so it is harder to see. If he is scratching, the hair loss could be due to parasites such as fleas or mites, a bacterial infection, yeast overgrowth, or skin allergies. If he does not seem to be itchy, hair loss can be caused by hormonal changes or certain endocrine diseases. These are just some of the possibilities. In order to determine what is most likely, I recommend taking him to your local veterinarian for a thorough exam and an initial skin test if needed to determine the cause.