Why is my dog losing hair, has raw skin, and peeing inside suddenly?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She may be leaking urine in her sleep from having urinary incontinence for example. Otherwise, other possibilities include a urinary tract infection, stones, among other possibilities. Her skin may be dry due to allergies for example. 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!

Skin problems can have a variety of causes, sometimes more than one. Allergies, parasites, bacterial or fungal infections, even contact with some surfaces or substances will cause itching, rash 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.

Oh my poor Minnu. Minnu has a pretty extensive skin allergy and unfortunately nothing over the counter is going to have a good chance at curing this. In fact allergies are often not cured, but instead they are managed with diet and medicaitons form the vet. Allergies in dogs are also not straight forward for every pet and take time to figure out what your pet has an allergy to. I would start with making sure she gets a good high quality flea preventative everything month to rule out any potential flea allergy. Then I would recommend considering doing a food trial for her for the next 2-3 months, to rule out a food allergy. My top picks are Royal Canin Ultamino or Royal Canin skin support. Then I would treat her skin infection with oral antibiotics prescribed by your vet, as well as treat for the itch with an allergy medication. Ask your vet about Cytopoint injections (if applicable) or Apoquel tablets to treat for her allergies. You can continue the baths if they are helpful as well. But Minnu needs a vet visit at this point to get started treating her allergies more effectively. Here is a website link that also discusses pet allergies and food trials more in detail. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A

It's possible that Minu' could have a skin mite infestation. She also may have an allergy to something in her environment like a certain type of grass, weeds, pollen, or even dust mites. I recommend having her evaluated by a veterinarian who will take a full history and possibly do a skin test to try to determine the cause. This way, appropriate treatments can be prescribed to decrease the itch and make Minu' feel better.

Poor Dappie! Hair loss, itching and skin irritation can be due to a number of issues, such as allergies, ringworm or mange. Any of these conditions can also lead to the onset of a bacterial skin infection, particularly since Dappie and your other dogs have been licking her skin lesions. Dappie should take a trip to her vet for further evaluation of her skin to determine the most appropriate treatment. Until you can get to the vet, be sure that she is receiving a high quality flea and tick preventative (such as Nexgard, Bravecto, or K9 Advantix II) regularly because fleas could exacerbate any underlying skin issue. You can also try putting an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent her from causing further skin irritation. A bath in an antimicrobial shampoo may be helpful, but her vet will be able to prescribe more effective medications. I hope that all goes well!

The hair loss pattern is suggestive of flea dermatitis, so I'm wondering if you've seen fleas any time recently before giving flea medication. If not, it's possible that Minnie has food or environmental allergies or a different kind of external parasites. I'd recommend having a vet examine her to determine what might be going on.

Typically, itchy red skin with hair loss is caused by either fleas, mites (mange), ringworm ( actually a fungus) or allergies. For me, the most common one of these is allergies. Dogs can have allergies to ingredients in their food or to things in the environment. They need to be seen by a vet who can rule out the other causes I mentioned, and then take the appropriate course of treatment. Some dogs will improve greatly on a hypoallergenic diet, others need immunosuppressive drugs. Often these guys have secondary bacterial infections that require antibiotics. I'd recommend an appointment With Lylas vet ASAP to get this sorted out, and get her some medications to help her feel better.