Why is my pitbull mom losing hair, spotting, and limping post-birth?

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Betsy! She is very cute! Hormones from pregnancy and lactation can affect the skin and hair. If the puppies are all weaned and have new homes, then I would suggest full blood work. Low thyroid and Cushing's disease can cause thin hair coats and pigment changes in the skin. Starting an Omega 3 fish oil (http://vrshealth.com/canine-products/omegadog/) won't hurt. Be sure she is on a good balanced commercial diet and if she is still nursing be sure it is puppy food. She should also be dewormed, pregnancy and nursing activates "sleeping" round worms. Parasites can cause a dull, thin hair coat. I also suggest having Betsy spayed. At 7 years old I worry about being intact impacting her health (pyometra, mammary cancer) and that is a bit old to have puppies again. I hope this helps and I wish Betsy the very best!

Hello! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! First off, you're doing a great job by keeping fleas off the mother dog and combing the pups regularly. Looking at the spots of hair loss on the head, my top suspicions would be ringworm, demodectic mange, or a bacterial skin infection. I would recommend you take her into a vet to find out what the problem is. Ringworm is a skin fungus that can be transmitted to people, but it is treated fairly easily if it is caught early. The vet will likely recommend a DTM culture to test for fungal infections, and a skin scraping and impression smear to find the root of the problem. I hope that helps!

This may be caused by excessive licking due to pain or itching, or could also have a hormonal cause. I do see a skin lession on the first photo, so you may want to review your regime of flea control. If you observe your dog and/or the puppies itching, check for fleas. You may also take her and the litter to a veterinarian for an exam if this continues or expands.

She may have had obturator nerve damage from the delivery that is causing her limping but honestly, that is not very common in dogs. The limping may not be related to the delivery at all. I don't know. That is why a vet exam is needed. If medications are needed to make her feel better the vet will be able to give her something safe that won't hurt the puppies. Vaginal bleeding one week after delivery may be normal. If it persists longer than a total of 2 weeks I would have your vet check that out.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Without pictures and without examining Shadow myself it is difficult to say what the problem is. If you are seeing round areas of hair loss, this could be due to ringworm, a bacterial skin infection or potentially skin parasites such as Demodex. I would have this looked at by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It can take a bit for the vulva and mammary glands to decrease from the hormones. She could also be experiencing a false pregnancy, which is a hormonal imbalance that can cause pregnancy symptoms: swollen mammary glands, milk development, nesting behavior, anxiety, carrying stuffed animals around. It usually resolves in 2-3 months. Causes for the area of hair loss are: trauma/injury/abrasion, skin infection, ring worm, demodex. I would put her on one of the oral flea and tick medications: Nexgard, Bravecto, or Simparica. All 3 also kill demodex as well. If the spot grows or doesn't resolve then I would have her seen. I hope this helps!

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thank your for sending those pictures. The areas around her chin and body do look inflamed and infected. This may be due to a bacterial infection, mite infection, or due to an underlying allergy. I would recommend she see her veterinarian as soon as possible. Your veterinarian may do skin scraping to check for mites and may prescribe a course of antibiotics or other medications as necessary. Your veterinarian may also send you home with topical antimicrobial wipes and shampoo as well. I hope this helps and thanks again for posting!