Why is my dog shedding so much for months? Should I see a vet?

Hello. If your veterinarian has not checked Moka's thyroid levels, then yes this needs to be looked at. Otherwise, this is a good fatty acid supplement, but it can take 6-8 weeks to see results after a supplement is started. If this does not work, she may need some additional testing. You can ask your veterinarian if there are any veterinary dermatologist specialists in your country. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Shedding fur, even seemingly large amounts, is completely normal for most dogs. If your dog has never shed like this in the past, or if she is losing so much fur she is having bald patches, then I would be concerned. Poor hair growth and cost condition can be due to poor nutrition/diet or an underlying medical condition like hypothyroidism. If you feel like the amount Soska is shedding is abnormal I would recommend a visit to your veterinarian to have her examined and possibly to have blood work performed. In the meantime you can supplement her diet with some fish oil (specifically omega 3 fatty acids) and see if that helps her coat. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Lily Cruz! Is Lily scratching? I would have her seen by your Vet. The most common causes of excessive shedding and areas of balding are: demodex (non-contagious mite), ring worm and a skin infection. Demodex can be easily treated with one of the oral flea/tick preventatives (Nexgard, Simparica or Bravecto). Skin infections are treat with antibiotics or anti-fungals if it is yeast. Ring worm can be a bit more complicated. I do not think it is normal shedding because she shouldn't have areas that are thin or balding. I wish you the best!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Most dogs and cats are shedding this time of year.To know if it is appropriate is based on breed: does this breed shed? And if there are spots of missing fur or an uneven hair coat. If the coat still looks good and there are not patches of missing fur and Coby isn't scratching, it is likely normal. I wish you the best!

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 her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. She may have mastitis which could explain the discharge from her nipples. That is something your veterinarian can evaluate. 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!

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 her 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!

Excess shedding can be a result of changes in the season so it is possible it is associated with weather warming up, but we can also see excessive shedding with other problems such as allergies. I would recommend having your vet examine Kilo to check for any underlying problems. In the meantime you could start a supplement good for skin such as a fatty acid supplement like Welactin which can be found online.