Why is my dog losing hair, red, and scratching around his mouth?

I would guess Lola could have a bacterial infection around her mouth. Trauma could also cause similar lesions. If she seems itchy it is possible that she has an infection secondary to allergies. A bacterial skin infection is often treated with oral antibiotics so I would recommend making an appointment to have your vet take a look.

Poor Momo! He could have a sore tooth in the back of his mouth causing him to scratch at it, he could have a skin infection of the side of the mouth called a lip fold pyoderma, it could be caused by allergies, or he could have a foreign body stuck in his mouth. I recommend taking Momo into your vet to have his mouth examined, have the cause of the scratching diagnosed, and you vet can determine the appropriate treatment.

Ronda may have a bacterial or fungal infection around the mouth, or mange, or some other skin condition. To find out what is going on and how to treat it, you need a visit to your vet for an examination and potentially a skin scraping to diagnose the hair loss.

It could be allergies, and although allergies occur more frequently when dogs are a little older, some younger dogs can be affected too. Since the lesions are itchy parasites (such as demodex, etc.) and infection ( bacterial, fungal) need to ruled out as well. Since your guy is uncomfortable the best plan is to see you vet to test for the above so that the correct treatment is prescribed. If the lesions resolve and recur work up for allergy will likely be recommended. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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 medications such as Apoquel or prednisone which may help with the itch. 

 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!


Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes a dog may scratch around the mouth due to food allergies, environmental allergies or even autoimmune issues. If the area is red and irritated you may apply a thin layer of triple antibiotic ointment but Nobby is likely to just lick it off. She is at the age where food allergies may develop so you may wish to try a novel protein diet (generally will need a prescription diet to do this). If the itch continues I would suggest scheduling an examination with your veterinarian as oral antibiotics or other medications like corticosteroids or antihistamines may be needed.

Lesions like this could be due to an injury, skin infection or the beginning of allergies. Protect the area from any rubbing by having Basil wear an elizabethan collar at all times. You can use a pet wipe and gently cleanse the area once a day. The problem with this area is that topical treatments are generally ineffective since pets just lick off whatever you put on it. This lesion may heal on it's own. If it does not start improving after a few days or if it starts getting worse at any point, have Basil examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.