Why is my dog's hard hair patch falling out with dandruff attached?

Hello and thank you for your post! A patch of hair loss could indicate multiple things. I am assuming that she is quite Young since you are calling her a puppy. If she is very young, she might have a patch of hair loss due to skin mites called Demodex. This patch could also be infectious, bacterial or fungal. I would suggest getting her seen by her veterinarian to have diagnostic tests performed to see what the primary cause of this patch of hair loss is. Your veterinarian will likely scrape the skin in that affected area as an initial test. Depending on the cause, that will be able to prescribe the most appropriate treatments for this. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any other concerns that you may have. I am also available via text or phone consultation.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Sammy and for providing a picture, it's very helpful. In the picture, I swear I see some dry, flakey skin. I'm wondering if he has a skin infection causing the hair loss and flakey skin. Without seeing him in person, I can't make a definitive diagnosis. I would have him seen by a vet to have this diagnosed and treated. Give his vet a call to make him an appointment. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, mange is possible. Other possibilities include allergies, ringworm, immune-mediated conditions, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. In the meantime, if she appears to be scratching or licking at it, you can use an e-collar to try to prevent further injury. Good luck!

We commonly see an overgrowth of normal bacteria on the skin cause crusting and scabbing. When this happens around and in the hair follicles, the hair will easily fall out. When a dog has a thick coat, the crusting can spread under the coat and go unnoticed. From your picture, it looks like this area may be over the hip/pelvis. In older dogs, when their bones are more prominent, they will sometimes have areas like that due to lying on harder surfaces. These can become pressure sores, so be sure to keep an eye out for those. I agree that the area does not look irritated, but there is still some brown crusting left, so be sure to monitor the area closely for any spread of the crusting. If the crusting spreads or the skin appears red, be sure to have your vet evaluate the area. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It's hard to see anything with the photos, however if the skin is flaking a few things could be happening: skin flaking can sometimes happen with parasites, so ruling out fleas or ticks is a good first step. Dry skin can also occur from over grooming (bathing too often which strips the coat of its natural oils), or from possible allergies/issues with diet. Using an aloe or oatmeal shampoo when bathing, adding some vitamin E or fish oil to the diet may help, however if the flaking continues, worsens, or you see irritation on the skin itself, having it checked by a vet is best.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking (if any). 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!

It looks he has a dermatitis which could be secondary to a bacterial or fungal infection. You could clean the area with a wound wash and see if it resolves. If not and/or he has multiple lesions, he should be examined by a vet for treatment.