My dog has hair loss, red eyes, and dark, dry, itchy skin. Why?

I would consider trying a flea tick prevention in pill form. They could also be used off label for mites. I would also talk to your veterinarian about apoquel or cytopoint to treat Rocky’s allergies. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor guy. Scratching to this degree indicates Stoney either has an ear infection, demodex mites, or a severe allergy. I would start with a good ear exam to look for debris or foul odors in the ears. If that shows nothing, then a skin scrape should be done to look for possible mites. If all that is ruled out, then you should focus your treatment on skin allergies. Allergies in dogs can be to something in the environment, fleas, or an ingredient in the pets food. Here is more info on food allergies in dogs. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952662 I hope that your pet Stoney gets some resolve to his severe itching soon! Its best to place an elizabethan collar on him to prevent him from causing further trauma to himself until you can get him seen again by your vet. You can purchase these e-collars from your local pet store. Best wishes and take care!

It looks as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy or fleas. The allergy could be a due to a protein in Rocky'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. Rocky will need antibiotics to help clear up the infection and possibly an anti-itch medication like Apoquel, Atopica, or Cytopoint to give some relief while the infection clears up. Since Rocky seems to continually have this problem he may need to be on an allergy medication long term. A medicated shampoo may be beneficial as well. I would also recommend he be on a good flea control too. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

Because of the fur loss around the eyes i would suspect demodicosis (mite infestation), it's very easy to diagnose, take them to the vet for a skin scrape, they can identify it on spot under the microscope.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There can be many causes for hair loss in dogs. Mite infection, allergies, endocrine issues such as low thyroid or Cushing's disease as well as other disorders of the skin can all be causes. It is difficult to say for sure what the cause of Rocky's hair loss is without an exam and some diagnostic testing such as a skin scrape and blood work. I would suggest Rocky see his veterinarian soon so a cause for this can be nailed down.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. It sounds like this possible infection may be significant though it is hard to tell without an examination. 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!

Poor Remington! It looks like Remington has a bit of a skin infection. The patch on his face appears to be superficial moist dermatitis (commonly called a "hot spot"). These skin infections are generally secondary to the dog scratching from something else. I would make sure you used a high product flea prevention (many over-the-counter options don't work very well). I prefer the oral options such as Bravecto and Nexgard, but there are many reputable topical products such as Advantix, Frontline, or Revolution as well. The scratching could also be due to allergies or (with the sore on his face) an ear infection, so I recommend having Remington seen by a vet to help determine what is causing the scratching in the first place, and to get him started on the appropriate treatment. He will likely need a course of antibiotics to clear up his skin. In the meantime, keep all of those areas clean and dry. You may gently clean them with warm soapy water (Dawn dish soap works well), then pat them thoroughly dry with a clean towel. Hope this helps.