My rescued dog is losing hair in clumps on his head and face. Why?

Scrappy needs to go to your veterinarian for an exam and skin scraping to determine the cause of this skin condition. It looks like a bacterial infection but he also could have mites, a fungal infection or it could be an autoimmune disease or tumors. If it's a severe bacterial infection with antibiotics and medicated baths this should improve. The longer he has these lesions the more likely the skin can become damaged and his fur may not grow back in. In addition to the skin scraping they may recommend a thyroid level test and perhaps a blood panel to check for other underlying disease. Scrappy will feel better once they get a diagnosis and the proper treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Scrappy.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! From your picture, it looks as though Bazil may have a skin infection. I would start Bazil on a topical therapy with a shampoo such as Duoxo PS Chlorhexidine Combination and bathe twice weekly until resolved. I would also recommend using Welactin omega 3 fish oil and Essential 6 Spot on by Dermoscent. I would do this for 2-3 weeks. If at any time the rash worsens or does not resolve, I would get Bazil seen by his veterinarian for further diagnostics and treatment. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available by phone or text based consultation if needed.

Poor guy. It looks like Bujee may have either a bacterial infection, demodexx mite issue or a fungal infection. Neither of these can be treated at home without prescription medication from your vet. Also you will have to get him tested first through your vet before knowing how best to move forward with his treatment. I would recommend scheduling an appt with your vet soon to have his skin examined and tested and then the proper treatment can be discussed with your vet. I hope that Bujee's skin improves soon! Best wishes and take care.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Chubby! He is SOO cute! I think Chubby should see a vet. I am not familiar with an incurable fungal skin infection in pugs. Possible causes are: bacterial skin infection, demodex, or ring worm. I would have a skin scrape done to check for mites and then put him on an oral flea and tick medication like Nexgard, Simparica and Bravecto which also kills demodex. I would submit sample for a fungal culture to rule out ring worm. If he has a bacterial skin infection then antibiotics are used. I hope this helps and I wish Chubby a speedy recovery!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like it could be skin allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his 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! There is really nothing specific you can try at home other than bathing him with a medicated shampoo you can get at your local pet store. This shampoo should contain chlorehexidine. In reality though, this is unlikely to resolve this issue completely. Good luck and have a good day!

Hello. Toby has a type of dermatitis going on, but the underlying cause cannot be determined just from a photo. It could have a bacterial, autoimmune, fungal or even parasitic ( mange mites ) cause. Your veterinarian can use a couple of rather simple diagnostic aids ( skin scrapes, hair plucks, dermatophyte cultures ) to determine the cause of the hair loss & lesions, then the correct treatment can be started to resolve this. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. It looks like Sam has some pretty significant dermatitis going on, most likely caused by a staph infection in his skin. But allergies, auto-immune disease & even some hormonal imbalances/diseases can cause skin symptoms like this. He really needs to be seen by a veterinarian, preferably one with a specialty in dermatology, if possible. In the meantime, I would be bathing him in an antibacterial shampoo, one with benzoyl peroxide, or 2-4% chlorhexidine. Most pet retailers carry something. Soap him up for 10 minutes before sensing thoroughly, & repeat the bath every few days, or at least twice a week. It may take 4-6 weeks to see results, but if you can have this looked at first hand, that would be best. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.