My German Shepherd's tail is losing hair. Why is she biting it?

Hair loss can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. In dogs like your puppy in the picture with severe hair loss, one common cause can be infection by mites that can live in the hair follicles and lead to hair loss, and secondary bacterial and fungal infections that can develop. I recommend making an appointment to have the affected puppies seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the hair loss as soon as you can. The vet will likely want to look at a sample from the area (taken by a procedure known as a skin scraping) and examined under the microscope to determine what kind(s) of infection may be present and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. Good luck!

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. The hair is expected to grow back when the allergies and infections resolve. 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!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Without seeing Ellie Mae it is hard to say what’s going on. I recommend taking her to a vet for a closer look. There may be microscopic mites or an allergic reaction. The vet can look at the skin under the microscope if necessary and get her medications to help with the scratching. Good luck and kisses to Ellie Mae!

There are a number of things that could cause excessive itching with hair loss and blackened skin. The most common possibilities would include allergies, fleas, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). If she's also acting weak, I would be concerned that she may also have some type of systemic illness like liver or kidney disease, anemia, hypothyroidism, or Cushing's disease. It would be best to have her examined by a vet as soon as possible - he/she can do some simple skin tests as well as blood work or other testing if needed to help determine what's wrong and get her started on appropriate treatment.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Itchiness in dogs, especially on the tail or tail base, can be caused by allergies, such as to fleas, food or environmental allergens. Other causes of itchiness include bacterial infections in the skin, mites such as demodex, and/or fungal infections. Please ensure that Cookie is on a consistent flea and tick preventative medication that was prescribed by a veterinarian. Flea medications/treatments that can be purchased from a food or pet store or online are not safe or effective in dogs. The house itself must also be treated for fleas, with very frequent vacuuming and even "flea bombing". If Cookie is already on an appropriate flea medication year round, I recommend having her examined by a veterinarian for an exam and skin scrape to evaluate for the presence of an infection and/or mites. I hope this is helpful!

Hair falling out can be pathological if it is related to an infection or fleas. It can also be due to normal shedding, which German Shepherds tend to have a thick under coat and the hair often falls out in clumps. I recommend to check the skin for redness, scaling, excessively dry skin, fleas or bleeding. If you see this, then you know it's pathologic. If there are not skin abnormalities, then hopefully it's normal shedding but without being able to see it, its hard to say. Your veterinarian or a groomer would be a good resource to know if this is normal hair loss or not. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any additional questions!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Memphia. Since he is only monthly flea treatments, then I suspect another cause of this scratching such as allergies. From the pictures, it appears he is really digging at himself, and has done some damage to his skin. Due to this, he needs to see a vet. The vet can diagnose what is causing this issues, and can treat him. I'd take him into a vet today or tomorrow. I hope this helps!