Why is my 7-month-old Labrador losing hair, itching, and not eating?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Part of her not gaining weight could be due to an intestinal malabsorption issue. Your veterinarian could consider further advanced diagnostics like an abdominal ultrasound and a GI panel to check for something like that. I do suspect that her skin issues are possibly due to allergies and that probably plays a role in her quality of life. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. 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!

You might try changing the diet to see if this helps. I recommend the brand Royal Canin. This diet can help a lot with hair issues. Otherwise things like parasites and thyroid issues can also affect the hair coat. I recommend having Daisy seen by a veterinarian to look for an underlying medical condition. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any further questions.

Hello. Hair loss in dogs can be normal (shedding) if it is being replaced by new hair growth. This is normal and will occur, and clean up can be controlled by brushing your dog's hair every day. If patches are being lost and the skin is showing, you should check for fleas/mites. A skin scraping may be necessary. If that is not the cause it could be due to infection, allergies, or other causes.

Pets can experience hair loss for many reasons. If you are noticing bald areas, redness to the skin, scabs or flaky skin, Joy could have a skin infection, need a different diet or an omega 3 supplement for pets. If you don't see any signs of pathology, this may be normal shedding. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello, and thank you for your question. Possible causes of itching and hair loss in dogs include parasites (fleas, mites), skin infections (bacterial, fungal), or allergies (food, environmental). If she is very uncomfortable due to itching, this may explain her low appetite. I would suggest a vet visit in the morning to help determine the cause of her skin problems. They may perform a skin scraping, skin cytology, or culture. They may be able to provide medication to provide her some relief and comfort from her itching, and treat the source of the problem as well. I hope this helps, and that Sophie is feeling better soon!

It looks as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy, a skin mite (Demodex) or fleas. 

The allergy could be a due to a protein in your dog’s food or an environmental allergy like to dust, pollens, grasses, etc. 

The allergy causes your dog to itch and chew at the skin which breaks down the skin barrier. This then leads to infection. Skin infections are typically characterized by large areas of hair loss, redness, crusting, flaking, and pustules. A thorough skin examination by your veterinarian should be able to determine the cause of the itch so it can be treated appropriately. A skin scraping and skin cytology should be performed to rule out mites and to determine the type of infection present (bacterial vs fungal). Your dog will most likely need antibiotics/antifungals longterm to help clear up the infection and possibly an allergy/anti-itch medication like Apoquel, Atopica, or Cytopoint to give some relief while the infection clears up. A medicated shampoo will be beneficial as well. I would also recommend he be on a good flea control routinely too. Once the infection has resolved a long term allergy medication (like Apoquel or Cytopoint) can be given on a regular basis to prevent any future problems. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.


severe itching with pain and hair loss is often indicative of mange, which can be infectious to other dogs and people. I recommend a full check up and skin scrapes by your vet as soon as possible to rule this out