Why is my dog's fur falling out in clumps near his butt?

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!

Hello. Thanks for contacting us about Scarlett. Biting the tail could be due to a few things. She could have an allergy which is causing her tail to itch, or she could have impacted anal glands which causes general discomfort around the tail area. Anal glands can be emptied by your vet. Hair loss in younger dogs like her is usually due to the dog biting the area as you suspect. I would have your vet check her skin and anal glands and go from there. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

A low thyroid is definitely a possibility that is contributing. Allergies from something in the environment, fleas or food can also play a role. The dark pigmentation with the creases on the legs can also be a secondary yeast or bacterial infection that is making this worse. he needs to see a vet to have the thyroid checked and address the skin infection. From there a medicated shampoo in a weekly bath is helpful. They can see what might be the underlying cause and get you appropriate medicine to try to stay ahead of it in the future.

Thank you for asking the question. The picture is difficult to tell if the hair loss is concentrated in one location or if it through out. Occasionally dogs will have a major shed, especially at the change of seasons. However, skin infection, ringworm, mites, thyroid disease, as well as a skin disorder called pemphigus that is often seen in shepherds are all possibilities of extreme hair loss. I am more concerned if there is any patchy areas of hair loss, crusting of the skin, thick dandruff, or other skin changes. If this continues or if you see any of these skin symptoms I would highly encourage you to have Rita evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

It might just be normal shedding but it could also be caused by a medical condition. You could bathe him with a moisturizing dog shampoo, brush him and add an omega-3 supplement (Free Form Snip Tips) and see if that helps. The black spots could just be normal pigmentation of his skin. If the excessive shedding and spots continues then he should be examined by a vet to determine if there is a problem. Your vet can do some testing to help diagnose. He could have a skin infection, mites, flea allergy, hypothyroidism, etc.

This is common in this breed and for this time of year. You can do a weekly bath and daily brushing to help keep it under control. You can add omega 3 fatty acids and fish oils to the food to also help. I would not worry unless there are Bald patches or he is scratching excessively