Why is my dog losing hair above his eye? What's the problem?

Without a photo it would be hard to say. Irritation from rubbing, minor allergies, etc can all be potential causes. If the area becomes bothersome, doesn't heal, changes in size or shape, becomes red, or oozes debris, then it should be checked out by your vet.

Hair loss in that area is generally due to allergies, mites or less likely and autoimmune disease. You can try giving Shadow an over the counter antihistamine to see if it helps. Wipe his eyes out daily to keep them clean. If he is rubbing the eyes, put an elizabethan collar on him to protect them. If you are not seeing any improvement, or if he is getting worse, I would recommend a vet visit. Taking care of things early is much better. I hope this helps Shadow.

Hi and thanks for your post. Demodex mite infection can be occur in younger dogs and may spontaneously resolve as their immune system becomes more mature. Demodex mange is not typically itchy but sarcoptic mange is. The area of hair loss around the eye in the picture does look suspicious of demodex mange but you will want to get this confirmed with your veterinarian first. A skin test in needed to accurately diagnosis demodex manage in dogs. If it is demodex, unfortunately, there is nothing over the counter at tractor supply you can purchase for this. You veterinarian may give you a prescription medication for the mange if necessary. Either types of manage (demodex or sarcoptic) typically is not fatal unless there is a more serious underlying condition at play. Both types are treatable.

Thank you for your question! Judging from the pictures, the area is reddened, inflamed and the hair has fallen out. It looks as though Mickey could possibly be dealing with a skin infection or skin mites. I would recommend you take him to your veterinarian for a workup of this to diagnose it appropriately so that the most effective treatment can be prescribed. Mickey will likely need to go on a course of oral antibiotics and a topical ointment to treat this if it is a skin infection and if it is skin mites (demodex) he would need to go on a course of a medication that kills the mites. I hope this guides you in the right direction for addressing this concern of yours. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions / concerns you may have.

Small amounts of hair loss at the corners of the eyes is not likely to be associated with an actual eye problem fortunately. In the absence of any itchiness, this is not something I would be terribly concerned about at this time. Keep an eye on the issue for spreading of hair loss or adversely effected eyes. If you want immediate answers to the problem, the only way to do this is with dermatologic diagnostics include skin scrapings, cytology, cultures, and/or biopsies of the areas of loss. Hope this helps.

This does not look too dramatic, however I would observe the bald spot. If it enlarges or if other bald spots appear, then this may be ringworm which would need to be treated by a vet. Should crusts appear or the skin start to look scaly around the eye(s) your dog may be suffering from demodex mites, which nowadays is easily treated, if necessary.

Hi there and thanks for posting this question. Certainly there can be many causes for this, but young dogs commonly will have a mite called demodex mite. I suspect by the age and description that this may be the problem. I would recommend that he be seen by a veterinarian. They will likely do a skin scraping to look for mites. If positive they will discuss treatment options. I hope this helps and thanks for using Pet Coach!