My dog has patchy hair and isn't growing a full coat. Is this normal?

She may have an endocrine disease, such as hypothyroidism (her thyroid gland isn't working right) or Cushing's disease (her adrenal glands are releasing too much cortisol). I would recommend you get her in to a vet so he or she can examine Poutchi; if the vet suspects a problem, he or she will recommend running some blood tests. I hope thats helpful for you! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is a possibility Colt has a skin mite called demodex (mange). These mites are microscopic and don’t cause the pet to scratch. I recommend taking him to a vet where they can scrape his skin and look for the mite with a microscope. They can also look for a secondary bacterial infection from the mite. Once they have a diagnosis they can prescribe him the correct medications to treat his skin. Good luck and kisses to Colt!

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.

Patchy hair coat can be due to a number of factors, including endocrine disease (such as hypothyroidism), allergies, bacterial or fungal or parasitic infection of the skin. I would recommend an exam at your vet so they can see the hair coat and skin. They may recommend testing such as bloodwork to screen for thyroid disease, or skin cytology to check for infection.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If the hair is growing back in the area, the original problem has likely resolved. It could have been from an allergy that caused Buddy to chew the hair off of the tail. This could also be due to a skin infection, skin parasite or hormonal disease causing the hair loss. I would monitor this for now and if it does not resolve or if it worsens, I would have a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please remember to rate this answer as helpful or not. Thank you!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thanks for the picture. The most common cause is probably demodex, a non contagious mite. In young animals they can over grow and cause localized patches of hair loss. Other causes are: ring worm, abrasion or skin infection. If it gets worse or doesn't improve I recommend taking Echo to the vet. Demodex is diagnosed by a skin scrape. Hope this helps! Good luck!