My dog has neck hair loss, but it's growing back. Should I be concerned?

There are two possible reasons for this: 1) since he is shedding a lot anyway at the moment the additional rubbing of the collar is "helping" shed more and faster, 2) He may have a sin reaction to the collar and therefore the Hair falls out. As long as the skin looks healthy, not red, no injuries or rash present, I do not think you have to worry. You may want to take off the collar for a while to eliminate mechanical rubbing damaging the fur.

Poor Sharky! The area of his hair loss is certainly consistent with irritation from his collar. From the pictures, it looks as though Sharky may also be wearing a flea collar, and these products can actually cause a lot of skin irritation in more sensitive dogs. Other causes of the hair loss could be related to hypothyroidism, mange, hormonal imbalances, among other issues. At this point, consider taking all collars (flea or normal collars) off of Sharky and use a harness to walk him until the hair loss resolves. You can also try bathing Sharky in a gentle oatmeal based pet shampoo since this can be soothing on the skin. Make sure that Sharky is regularly receiving a high quality flea and tick preventative, such as Nexgard, Bravecto, or K9 Advantix II in case a flea allergy could be contributing to this issue. If he starts to itch and scratch, if the hair loss worsens or does not begin to improve in the next few weeks, Sharky will need to go to his vet for further evaluation. I hope this helps and that he's feeling better soon!

Hello. I would not be overly concerned, but do point this out to your veterinarian at Lucy's next veterinary visit. We do see some situations where hair can be very slow to regrow after shaving ( she may have had her neck shaved when blood was drawn prior to her surgery ), but unless she is showing signs of illness, such as lethargy, weight gain, lack of energy, or you notice skin lesions such as redness or pustules, it is not an emergency to have her seen. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It is possible that the allergies and the collar are acting in combination to cause the hair loss. Other reasons are also possible. You may try switching her diet to the brand Royal Canin or Nutro as both of these are aimed at skin health. Starting her on an additional omega-3 fatty acid supplement may also be beneficial. If this does not help within a few weeks or if it gets worse, I have her examined by the veterinarian. Best of luck.

It very well could be from the collar. Some dogs can develop yeast or bacterial skin infections in the area that is contacted by the collar, since it can trap moisture and cause irritation to the skin. I would recommend removing the collar for the next several days to see if the area heals on its own - you may need to keep Lola inside or on-leash in the yard during this time. If there is no improvement in the skin problem within the next 3-5 days, then it's likely that something else is causing it - in that case, she should be seen by a vet to find out what's going on.

This is commonly seen when they get a skin infection (aka hot-spots). The neck is a common place for this to happen, because moisture often gets trapped under their collar and/or loose skin. It appears to be minor, so you can try a couple of things at home to get clear the infection. 1) Clip the hair around the area and expose all of the lesion(s). There may be more than one of these. 2) Wash the area with warm water and a medicated shampoo (can get this at the pet store) once a day. Use a cloth and gently wipe away the scabs. Do not scrub, because it will irritate the skin more. It's OK if all of the scabs do not come off in each washing. 3) Make sure the area is completely dry after washing. 4) Leave the collar off. You should start seeing good results within a week after starting this. It may take a few weeks before it's completely cleared. If two weeks go by and it's not getting any better, then it's best to have a veterinarian exam it. Also, if it appears to get worse, then take him to the vet for treatment. I hope that helps and this gets cleared up soon.

Hello, thank you for your question. I would not be concerned about it, as dogs age they may develop thinning hair and hair loss. If she is not bothering at the area by scratching it, then you may continue to monitor her. If you note any additional hair loss, scratching, or redness then you should have her evaluated by a veterinarian. Hope this helps and best of luck.