Why is my dog biting fur and losing hair near her butt every summer?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the pictures, it appears Riley has a skin infection known as a hot spot. She will need to be seen by a veterinarian to determine the underlying cause and get treatment for the infection and itching. Hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Typically dogs scratch those areas when they have fleas. Even if you aren't seeing fleas it doesn't mean they aren't there. I recommend getting all pets in the home on monthly prevention every 30 days for at least 3 months. I would call your vet for a dose of Benadryl too. If the Benadryl doesn't help, she may need something stronger to relieve the itch. Good luck and kisses to Meka!

This is a common area for a dog to itch when they have flea allergies. Unfortunately, flea baths only remove fleas on the skin at the time of the bath. They do not prevent other fleas from jumping on later. Twitchy would need a good flea preventative and may need a prescription anti-inflammatory to help with the itching. Other causes of itching in this area include fungal infection, deep pyoderma (bacterial infection), and mites. A vet will do a thorough examination and may collect a sample to be examined under a microscope. Hair loss on the feet could be caused by excessive licking or may be related to the cause of the itching around the butt.

Sorry about Riley. Looks like Riley has an active skin condition that needs examination and treatment from your local veterinarian. The neck is frequently affected with local skin problems due to most dogs having collars that either become wet or irritate the skin. It is also very easy to scratch that area with the hind leg. The rough skin area can indicate an infection related to secondary bacteria or yeast. Frequently, certain parasites such as mites or fleas can contribute to this problem. Your veterinarian will perform some diagnostic testing and gather information regarding this problem to help find the best treatment and preventative program for your dog. You may want to put a t-shirt or something over the area to avoid further irritation from scratching prior to your appointment. Skin problems are common and usually respond to treatment, so best of luck with Riley. Thanks, Steve Popish, DVM

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. 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!

Very common area for a flea allergy to present. I have seen a great number of dogs with severe flea allergies and been unable to find a single flea. Simply put they have been bitten so many times that they have developed an allergy to the flea saliva and one bite can send them into a severe allergic response. My treatment of choice is Cytopoint with an oral flea medication but certainly apoquel or a low dose steroid in combination with an oral flea product would accomplish the same thing.

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 his 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!