Why is my dog losing hair on her side after giving birth to puppies?

These are not typical of a dog after having a litter of puppies. Her age and having difficulty jumping make me think she may be painful from arthritis. Hair loss can be caused by a range of things, including stress, decreased nutrition, mites, fleas, allergies, infection, etc. I would recommend starting with a good physical exam with a veterinarian who may be able to determine what is going on.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Betsy! She is very cute! Hormones from pregnancy and lactation can affect the skin and hair. If the puppies are all weaned and have new homes, then I would suggest full blood work. Low thyroid and Cushing's disease can cause thin hair coats and pigment changes in the skin. Starting an Omega 3 fish oil (http://vrshealth.com/canine-products/omegadog/) won't hurt. Be sure she is on a good balanced commercial diet and if she is still nursing be sure it is puppy food. She should also be dewormed, pregnancy and nursing activates "sleeping" round worms. Parasites can cause a dull, thin hair coat. I also suggest having Betsy spayed. At 7 years old I worry about being intact impacting her health (pyometra, mammary cancer) and that is a bit old to have puppies again. I hope this helps and I wish Betsy the very best!

This nirnak when the puppies get weaned that the mothers hair thin and fall out. They often look like they have the mange and are not cared for. Don't worry, it all grows back and fills in and returns to normal with time. The scratching is usually not associated with this process though so you can try a medicated shampoo to help and it does not help then consult your vet about potential allergies

That's a good question. The hormonal changes, the energy drain of having puppies and nursing them and the additional stress are all reasons female dogs lose their coats after having puppies. This is normal and once the pups are done nursing and she starts relaxing and gaining back weight the fur will come back in. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Jimmy.

What cute pups! Its possible there could be a parasite causing some skin irritation. Fleas would be a possibility, but also demodectic mange which is caused by mites that normally live on the skin but can get out of control when dogs are immune suppressed as in pregnancy. It may improve on its own as the pups get bigger but she may need to see a vet for treatment.

Hello. It is not unusually for a bitch to blow her coat while nursing. There is such a great demand for nutrients to go into the milk that often a mother dog's weight & coat will suffer. Dogs can spot for up to 12 weeks after whelping, so as long as the discharge is not getting worse, I would not worry. I do not know why she is favoring her left side. Arthritis is a possibility if she is an older dog, but it certainly can be other things like tick disease to a sprain/strain. If you have not wormed her or the puppies, do so. Pyrantal pamoate is usually started when the puppies are just 2 weeks old. This does not get all the worms, but is safe for mom & the puppies. If the blood spotting or the limp gets any worse, please have her seen by your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It sounds like the grapes ingestion goes back to some time ago, before Lucky's puppies were born. So I am assuming 3 weeks roughly ? If there is no sign of illness I would try not to worry at this stage. Normally kidney failure occurs within a few days, and with the pregnancy and all the extra work on the kidneys, you would have seen symptoms already. I would say, if you notice anything that you are worried about, that it is not usual for Lucky, to have her checked over.. however if all is good, not to worry and just keep an eye on her and the puppies. Obviously from now onwards no more grapes !