My dog has bald spots on his head. Is it serious? What's the cause?

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.

I would recommend that Rosco be examined by a vet to determine the cause so that he can receive appropriate treatment. Possible causes of these lesion and hair loss and itching include fleas, mange, lice, infections (bacterial or yeast), ringworm, allergies (to fleas, foods, or the environment), among others. The vet will do a thorough physical exam and discuss the recent history, and may do skin scrapings or cytology to look for parasites or infection.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These look like alopecic patches which may de due to scratching of her ears which may be due to an ear infection for example. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If this is confirmed they would likely proceed with topical therapy. Good luck!

Poor Roscoe! Allergies are possible but a more common cause would be skin mites (which you can only see what a microscope). Ringworm (which humans can get) or a bacterial infection are also possible. I recommend to have him examined by the veterinarian who can preform a simple test to check for mites. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Scabbing/hair loss can be caused by a number of things including infections from bacteria/yeast/fungus on the skin, allergies, metabolic changes internally, wounds or scratches, parasites, and more. Making sure Rosie is on a good monthly flea and tick preventive may help if you see parasites. If the area is not improving or is expanding in size it is best to have your vet take a look. They may recommend taking a skin scraping of the area to have it tested for possible causes. Be sure to also let your vet know of any other changes such as changes in appetite or energy levels. As some infections can be contagious to other pets and people, washing your hands after handling the area is best to help minimize spread.

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.

It looks like that spot on top of his head is very irritated and possibly infected. It could be from fleas or from irritation from the E-collar. If this is the only spot and he is not too itchy, you could try putting f some topical antibiotic ointment on it. If it does seem to be bothering him or if he has other similar spots elsewhere on his body, I would recommend taking him in to the vet to be evaluated. They can give you some medication to prevent the hair loss and infection from getting worse.