My dog is losing hair around his collar and chest, what's wrong?

Poor Sharky! The area of his hair loss is certainly consistent with irritation from his collar. From the pictures, it looks as though Sharky may also be wearing a flea collar, and these products can actually cause a lot of skin irritation in more sensitive dogs. Other causes of the hair loss could be related to hypothyroidism, mange, hormonal imbalances, among other issues. At this point, consider taking all collars (flea or normal collars) off of Sharky and use a harness to walk him until the hair loss resolves. You can also try bathing Sharky in a gentle oatmeal based pet shampoo since this can be soothing on the skin. Make sure that Sharky is regularly receiving a high quality flea and tick preventative, such as Nexgard, Bravecto, or K9 Advantix II in case a flea allergy could be contributing to this issue. If he starts to itch and scratch, if the hair loss worsens or does not begin to improve in the next few weeks, Sharky will need to go to his vet for further evaluation. I hope this helps and that he's feeling better soon!

There are two possible reasons for this: 1) since he is shedding a lot anyway at the moment the additional rubbing of the collar is "helping" shed more and faster, 2) He may have a sin reaction to the collar and therefore the Hair falls out. As long as the skin looks healthy, not red, no injuries or rash present, I do not think you have to worry. You may want to take off the collar for a while to eliminate mechanical rubbing damaging the fur.

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. 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!

It is possible that the allergies and the collar are acting in combination to cause the hair loss. Other reasons are also possible. You may try switching her diet to the brand Royal Canin or Nutro as both of these are aimed at skin health. Starting her on an additional omega-3 fatty acid supplement may also be beneficial. If this does not help within a few weeks or if it gets worse, I have her examined by the veterinarian. Best of luck.

Poor guy. I suspect this may be a demodexx mite issue. Demodexx mites live on every pets skin and are not contagious, but they can overpopulate in certain pets with a weakened immune system, causing hair loss, redness and sometimes secondary infection. I would have your vet test his skin to see if this is a mite problem. If so, it can be treated. Another possible cause is a contact dermatitis, but these areas are typically very itchy as well. Best wishes with your pet Shiro and I hope his skin clears up soon! Take care.

Poor pup! It would be best to bring him to a vet for a complete exam and to have a sample taken from the areas where there is hair loss. Allergies can definitely play a part in hair loss, however ruling out other issues such as parasites (fleas, ticks, even internal parasites), illnesses, or fungal/bacterial infections is best to do as well. If allergies are suspected, your vet can work with you to try a diet change for any food allergies, or get started on a medication to treat any environmental allergies. Until you can get to the vet, placing an Elizabethan (cone) collar or T-shirt on your pup is best to keep him from licking and scratching at the areas where there is hair loss. This can help prevent the spread of any infection or prevent a secondary infection from taking hold.

That spot on Harvey could be several things including allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection or ringworm (which humans can get). Hopefully this is a good sign that his body is fighting the cause since it appears to be healing. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You can wash the lesion once a day (not his whole body, just the lesions). You can apply a dab of organic coconut oil once a day and rub in well (do not allow him to lick the area afterwards). Also protect the area from trauma by having your pup wear an elizabethan collar at all times. If the lesion do not start improving within a week or if it is getting worse, have him examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.