Why is my dog losing hair and has dry, hard skin on his back and legs?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the pictures you provided, it would appear as though Lily may have a skin infection. I would recommend the following products to see if this helps. If there is no improvement, Lily may also need oral antibiotics. These products can be found online quite easily. 1. Douxo PS Chlorhexidine shampoo 2. Miconhahex + Triz spray 3. Essential 6 spot on

This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat big with a high quality flea treatment (e.g. advantage), then get him to the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try discovering the cause of the allergy. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). simultaneously you should start Big on a prescription hypoallergenic diet for at least 2 months. Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider putting him on a long term allergy treatment (Apoquel).

I'm sorry to hear of your issues with Jaxx. There are many potential causes for hair loss in dogs including allergies, fleas, mange and hormonal imbalances. Based on the pictures provided, it appears that Jaxx's skin has been inflammed for a while. The skin appears thickened and red. I think this is most likely due to allergies. He may also have a secondary bacterial or yeast infection. A soothing oatmeal bath may help with his discomfort. You can also try an antihistamine such as benadryl. A common dose for this is 1mg per pound of body weight. For example, a 25 pound dog would receive 25mg. If this does not help, I would recommend having him seen by a veterinarian. In some cases, steroids, antibiotics or medicated shampoos may need to be prescribed to resolve this issue.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

From the photos here it looks like these are patches of hair loss. We can have hair loss at points of pressure if a dog likes to lay on hard surfaces, but we also worry about things like ringworm (a fungal infection), skin mites, and bacterial infection causing patches of hair loss. I would recommend bringing your dog in to the vet to examine the area. They may recommend a fungal culture if ringworm is suspected or a cytology of the skin to check for bacteria or a skin scrape to check for mites.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the pictures you have provided, I would suspect that Princess is suffering from a skin allergy, skin infection or skin parasite infection. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. The veterinarian can check her skin for skin parasites and see if there is a bacterial or fungal infection as well. If you are unable to get to a veterinarian right away, I would recommend the below products, which can be found online quite easily. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Welactin omega 3 fish oil capsules for dogs 2. Douxo PS Chlorhexidine combination shampoo and bathe twice weekly until resolved 3. Douxo PS Calm mousse and apply once daily until resolved 4. Malacetic conditioning spray and apply to the affected areas twice daily until resolved 5. Essential 6 spot on by Dermoscent and apply as directed

Skin problems can have a variety of causes, sometimes more than one. Allergies, bacterial or fungal infections, even contact with some surfaces or substances will cause itching and/or hair loss. It is important to have the problem checked by your vet to determine if there is a medical cause for your pet’s skin issues and treat accordingly. In pets of all ages, fleas, food allergies and exposure to chemical irritants such as cleaners and soaps can be a cause. Any one of these may not be enough to trigger the breakouts, depending on how sensitive your pet is, but a combination can be enough to start the itch-scratch cycle. Finding out the cause and eliminating it is the best course of action. With flea allergies, if your pet is sensitive enough, a single bite can cause them to break out scratch enough to tear their skin. Check for fleas with a flea comb. Look for fleas and/or tiny black granules, like coarse black pepper. This is flea feces, consisting of digested, dried blood. You may find tiny white particles, like salt, which are the flea eggs. Applying a good topical monthly flea treatment and aggressively treating your house and yard will help break the flea life cycle. If you use plastic bowls, this is a possible cause for hair loss, though this tends to be on the chin, where their skin touches the bowl while they eat. If you suspect this to be the culprit, try changing the bowls to glass, metal or ceramic. Food allergies are often caused by sensitivity to a protein in the food. Hill's Science Diet offers some non-prescription options for sensitive skin as well as prescription hypoallergenic foods for more severe cases. Royal Canin carries limited protein diets that may also offer some relief. Your vet can recommend a specific diet that will help. If there is no relief or not enough, consider getting your pet checked by a veterinary dermatologist and having allergy testing done.